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Frogs’ legs are considered a delicacy, especially in France: according to a study, the EU is the largest importer of frogs’ legs in the world.

According to analyses, this consumption of frog legs in the EU and Switzerland has contributed to the decline of wild frog populations in an increasing number of supplier countries in recent decades.

After recently India and Bangladesh, Indonesia, Turkey and Albania have also been affected, experts report in the journal “Nature Conservation”. The countries of the European Union should take much more responsibility for the sustainability of trade.

The EU is still by far the largest importer of frog legs in the world and most frogs are still caught in the wild. A total of about 40,700 tons of frogs’ legs were imported between 2010 and 2019, reports the team led by Bonn researcher Mark Auliya of the Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change. That corresponds to up to two billion frogs. Belgium is the main importer – most frog legs are eaten in France.

Switzerland also imports about 65 tons of frog legs and live frogs annually, according to the study. Most are from Turkey. Although all native frogs are protected in Switzerland, it is legal to import live frogs for consumption or frog legs.

“A black box”

According to the analysis, which also involved conservation organisations, India and Bangladesh were the main suppliers to the EU in the 1970s and 1980s. After a drastic decline in frog populations, both countries stopped exporting. Since then, most frogs come from Indonesia. The population of wild large-legged frog species has already declined considerably there – just like in Turkey and Albania.

There is still a lack of data on certain aspects, such as the impact of trade on the spread of amphibian diseases. “The international frog leg trade is a black box,” says Auliya. This also applies to the lack of species-specific trade data and incorrect labeling in the trade. With processed, skinned and frozen frog legs, it is difficult to check whether the specified species is actually correct without a genetic analysis.

(aeg/sda/dpa)