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Outrage as Tesco still sells live turtles11/03/2011 04:30:32
Live produce: Turtles on sale in Tesco's China supermarket. 'Horrifying welfare implications' March 2011: Live turtles are still being sold in Tesco stores in China - much to the outrage of conservationists. The store has been marketing the turtles since its first store opened in the country in 2007 - but Care for the Wild International (CWI) is furious the practice is continuing. It using the retirement of Tesco CEO Sir Terry Leahy to once more bring the fact to public attention. For the West Sussex-based wildlife charity, Leahy's failure to address the issue of live turtle sales in its Chinese store constitutes unfinished businesses. CWI director Mark Jones said: ‘CWI has worked for years to inform Tesco and the public about the horrifying welfare implications and severe damage to conservation caused by this activity. The continued sale of live turtles in Tesco China stores highlights the ‘business over ethics' stance that CWI says seems to have prevailed during Leahy's tenure. ‘We asked Sir Terry about this issue at the Tesco shareholders' AGM in 2008,' said Jones. ‘He promised he'd base future policy on "sound science", but all the science shows that turtles are suffering, that the trade is unsustainable, and that consumers are put at risk. Yet Tesco keep selling live turtles in China.' 'Tesco's stated policy on animal welfare is just words' ‘Tesco's stated policies on animal welfare, supply chain sustainability, and consumer safety, all contain fine words, but their continued sale of live turtles in China shows these policies for what they are... just words,' said Jones. The government also seems reluctant to speak out on the issue of British business behaviour in overseas markets. ‘Sir Terry Leahy has made Tesco a huge commercial success. It's a pity that, by failing to see through on his promise to apply the sound science to some of his company's practices in China, this success has come at the expense of animal welfare and sustainability.' A Tesco spokesperson said: ‘We meet regularly with Care for the Wild International to discuss this issue and are committed to the continued improvement of turtle welfare in China. We always take animal welfare into account with all of our policies.'
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Read the comments about this article and leave your own comment
it just shows how japan and china have no moral ethics towards animals at all. They dont care about wildlife cruetly as all animals are " exotic foods" to them. Some day they will treating humans the same way if they havent started already.
Posted by: Ali | 12 Jul 2011 13:51:23
There is a campaign being run at Global Ocean www.globalocean.eu/content/view/154/1) to put pressure on MP's to stop Tesco selling Freshwater Turtles and exacerbating a current conservation crisis. Please come and help end this vile practice.
Posted by: Graham | 01 Jul 2011 12:07:01
Schools are teaching children about conservation, nature and the environment to save our earth from dying and the affects of nature on humanity. Tesco gives parents school vouchers to help children buy computers for their schools to help in Education.
Yet his is the worst lesson they could be teaching children on animal Welfare, Nature and Conservation.It is all very sad that so much beauty can be lost through simple greed. I only shop at tesco in emergencies but used to shop there weekly until a friend told me about the turtles.
Posted by: | 22 Jun 2011 00:21:23
Thank you for your email to Sir Terry Leahy our former Chief Executive, to which I have been asked to respond.
We appreciate you are concerned about the animal welfare issues associated with the sale of turtles in China. We have a track record of considering evidence, working with others and listening to their concerns. As a result, we have made several significant improvements to the way turtles are sold in our stores, such as making sure that the way in which they are handled is to the highest possible standard.
This approach to animal welfare and the sale of live turtles - seeking out research, acting on it and educating customers - is unprecedented by any retailer operating in China and we hope that these actions will help to drive up standards throughout the supply chain.
Some organisations are asking us to stop selling live turtles completely.
While we are committed to upholding the very important issue of animal welfare, we also need to balance different cultural attitudes, in this case respecting the different traditions, expectations and values on this issue that exists in China.
Turtles are a popular and traditional part of the Chinese diet and, having addressed these important animal welfare concerns, we continue to sell turtles in our stores in China.
This was sent in response to an inquiry by one of our readers, David Ward.
Posted by: Powell Ettinger | 27 Apr 2011 14:34:50
I am an animal Scientist- you can imagine the horrifying welfare implications screeching loudly in my head over the sale of live turtles in TESCO.
TESCO is all about money evidently true in all aspects, its about time TESCO took a downturn in profits, i will do my best to Preech the bad deeds- the truth about TESCO and what you are really eating- it certainly isnt a pretty picture-
Posted by: jayne lambert | 16 Apr 2011 08:56:36
Why the hell do tesco still sell turtles. That is so primative. They are nearly going extinct... if they do we will never see these beatiful animals ever again...
Posted by: jeff o mahony | 08 Apr 2011 20:16:51
customer.service@tesco.co.uk
Posted by: robert piller | 27 Mar 2011 10:08:39
Tesco obviously think of profit before animal welfare, so from now on, it wont be Tesco getting my money. I have shopped at Tesco's for a very long time, and even have Insurances with them, but after hearing they are selling live Turtles in China, just to make a quick buck, then i have no option to take my business else where. Tesco, you should be ashamed that you thought you could get away with this sale, and i hope that everyone takes their business elsewhere...Goodbye Tesco
Posted by: Dave Ward | 19 Mar 2011 17:44:26
What can we expect if it is in China. They just don't bother about animals. They just care about their own tummy.
Posted by: molly Gan | 19 Mar 2011 12:26:44
I will not buy at Tesco anymore.
Posted by: Thomas Johnson | 16 Mar 2011 08:53:16
I have shoped at Tesco for at least 12 years BUT NO MORE & lots of my friends feel the same way Lets spread the word about this as it is a disgrace THANKS,
D HURST
Posted by: Dennis Hurst | 15 Mar 2011 17:13:10
Stop shopping at Tesco's - it's easy to do as there are so many other supermarkets around. Take this opportunity to shop elsewhere! Sainsburys even offer free delivery if you spend over £100 and Waitrose do if you spend over £50 and they match Tesco prices!!! So you have to do this, it's the only way as these people will only pay attention when their profits start dropping, then they will stop selling the turtles and not before.
I hate Tesco with a passion.
Posted by: Mrs P Dellow | 14 Mar 2011 21:17:11
This just goes to show that all & every effort to be green by Tesco here in the UK is mere green-wash... They really couldn't give a flip about the environment or animal welfare... They only give an inch here & there when pushed by people like Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall and otherwise just look for profit at the expense of all! It bothers me hugely, that because Tesco are mentioned on this page, there are google ads at the bottom offering careers at the stores & online shopping! Grrrrrrrrr
Posted by: Jason Peters | 13 Mar 2011 10:05:12
'Turtles' for sale at Tesco stores in China reminds me of the days when tortoises were sold by Woolworths. I recall seeing them in Woolworths, Taunton, when I was a pre-school boy. It must have been about 1936 or 37, so I suppose they sold for 6d each. Unlike those illustrated in your article, they were not enclosed in net bags but were crawling about in a heap on one of the counters. My mother bought one, which we kept for a year or so but it disappeared when we moved houses. I presume it was a species found in the Eastern Mediterranean, so the English climate was hardly optimum although it survived winter in a state of torpidity or semi-hibernation between a wall and a lavender bush.
I suppose those on sale in China are an indigenous species but I wonder whether thay are being sold as pets of for culinary or medicinal purposes as is so much wildlife in the East.
Posted by: Dr John Clarke | 12 Mar 2011 17:58:11
Well, re China , you're not surprised that they neglect animal welfare. Hopefully an awerness campaign will improve things for animals in China in the long run.
What to do? Wildlife Extra can compose a protest letter and every reader can sign it, or everyone can personally write to Tesco and complain! I think they were involved in selling whale meat in Japan as well, but due to pressure from consumers gave up this ( Greenpeace)!
Please , do oppose this! Your protest voice is not in vain!
Regards,
Ann Novek
Posted by: Ann Novek | 12 Mar 2011 09:15:37