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Last week, City Councilman Tony Avella introduced a resolution to urge the state senate to outlaw the force-feeding of ducks and geese to produce foie gras. A bill has been on the back burners in Albany, and Avella hopes that his resolution will move things forward. Ariane Daugin, head of D'Artagnan, the nation's leading foie gras purveyor, had a some strong opinions to share on the matter. Read more about her opposition (and see the Humane Society's video of the duck and geese) here.
What do you think of Councilman Avella's recent resolution to ban the practice of force-feeding geese to produce foie gras? It bothers me to see American leaders take actions like this without getting all the information about the issues. Recently, well-funded vegetarian activists tried to convince 45 legislators in Maryland to back a similar bill. We took those legislators out to our farms, had veterinarians and farmers testify at the hearing, and the ban was voted down.
We did the same in Chicago, where they originally passed the law without knowing anything about foie gras. When we gave them all the information, they reversed the law.
Why is this issue in the spotlight now? Avella is trying to draw support for an old bill, and let's be honest, get some attention for his mayoral campaign. Suddenly, we are all talking about him. But he is sadly misinformed-and is misleading the public.
It seems obvious, but bears mentioning: ducks aren't built the same as humans. He keeps talking about the birds' "mouths" being hurt by the feeding tube; he is basically anthropomorphizing. Birds have beaks, not mouths, and the tube does not hurt them. When a mother bird wants to show her love for her baby bird, she puts her beak down as far as possible into her baby's neck (esophagus) and then pukes in it -- this is how she feeds it.
The scientific facts about duck anatomy are available, so I won't belabor the point. What I'd like to say to Avella is, "go visit a good farm and then we can talk -- don't listen to those whose agenda is to convert the world to vegetarianism; get the facts."
There are two farms in New York that produce approximately 80% of foie gras in the U.S. How would this ban likely impact Hudson Valley Foie Gras, the farm from which you obtain your foie gras? Frankly, I don't believe the law will go anywhere -- if it does, then 500 jobs in upstate NY would disappear.
Assemblyman Michael Benjamin, an original sponsor of the bill to ban foie gras in New York state, was just quoted as saying, "I've had a change of heart." He went to one of the farms and realized that the ducks are not in pain, or mistreated, and he no longer supports his own bill, which Avella wants to revive.
Do you think a ban like this would ultimately have an impact on the level of foie gras consumption in the U.S.? Yes, a POSITIVE one. In Chicago, when there was a ban, the consumption actually increased.
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Why mention bears? I thought we were talking about water fowl.
Ooohh, snap.
I love this totally irrelevant (and false) comment by Daguin: "When a mother bird wants to show her love for her baby bird, she puts her beak down as far as possible into her baby's neck (esophagus) and then pukes in it -- this is how she feeds it."
Hello? We're talking about geese and ducks, not songbirds. Ducklings are born precocial-- that is, they hatch with the immediate ability to walk on their own and feed themselves. No mother duck in the history of the world has ever shoved her bill down a duckling's throat and "puke[d] in it."
Maybe Daguin shouldd take her own advice and learn "the scientific facts" instead of spewing lies.
I love me some fois gras, hope to eat some in front of a PETA moron's face.
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A very one-sided viewpoint. Here is what the Humane Society has to say about force feeding:
http://www.hsus.org/farm/camp/ffa/
Many countries in the European Union aleady have bans against this inhumane practice.
This is a RESOLUTION. A resolution is nothing but a statement of the Council's position on a subject and has no legal weight. But, hat's off to Avella -- first trying to save the horses, now the ducks. I think mice and ants are next.
Just like they always try justify when it affects their bottom line. It's absolutely inhumane and not to mention totally unhealthy. I don't care about supporting industries that hurt living beings and are unhealthy. Don't care about whether tobacco industry dries up either. Get a conscience and start doing something positive for society.
Forcibly rupturing the esophagus of a bird with a thick metal pipe is hardly an expression of love. If that's her idea of affection, I'd hate to be on the other end of that lovin'.
The bottom line is this - foie gras is DISEASED tissue. It's made by purposefully inducing illness and disease in animals. These animals are so ill from liver disease that they can barely walk. Their livers swell to ten times the normal size because they are bloated with diseased tissue.
Should we really trust the people who profit from this cruelty when they tell us that these animals enjoy their torment?
Ariane Daugin, what a disgrace to the female gender and to the human race you are to find anyway whatsoever to defend abusing an animal. What emotional deadening and arrogance to assume how these animals feel or that we can eat them at all. You are a f**king emotional cripple you are. You are disgusting.
An absolute disgrace to the human race you are Ariane!