Animal rights group tries to gag foie gras
Birds force-fed to produce delicacy
Liberation B.C. is lobbying to make Vancouver a foie gras-free city.
The four-year-old animal-rights group has targeted restaurants and grocers offering the duck-liver pâté, and says a dozen have pulled the item, including grocery giant Overwaitea.
The grassroots campaign involves e-mails and phone calls from the group’s 800 members to the food establishments, with the goal of eliminating all Vancouver foie gras outlets.
“That’s our ultimate goal,” said the group’s Joanne Chang. “We just want the customers to have the information. “They can make their own choices.” Liberation B.C. argues the ducks are cruelly force-fed to fatten them up before being killed for the pricey pâté. The group has moved on to foie gras after earlier campaigns against fur and rodeos.
Among the restaurants targeted is West, which announced it was dropping foie gras, then angered the group by putting it back on the menu.
West general manager Brian Hopkins said he’s responding to his customers, not pressure.
“We took it off, then we changed our mind,” said Hopkins. “I’m certain that there are unethical producers, and there are ethical producers, just like any other business.
“I’m sure there are unethical producers who are doing worse things to other animals.”
The group says outlets that have dropped foie gras include Meinhardt, Aqua Riva, Cru, Lift, Cafe de Paris, Greedy Pig, Mistral, Oyama Sausage Co., Connor Butler and Urban Fare.