Sonoma Foie Gras Lobbies for — and Gets — SB 1520, the California Foie Gras Bill
(Friends of Animals’ comments to follow the letter from Governor Schwarzenegger).
To the Members of the California State Senate: I am signing Senate Bill 1520 which prohibits a person from force feeding a bird for the purpose of enlarging its liver. This bill’s intent is to ban the current foie gras production practice of forcing a tube down a bird’s throat to greatly increase the consumption of grain by the bird. It does not ban the food product, foie gras. This bill provides 7 and one half years for agricultural husbandry practices to evolve and perfect a humane way for a duck to consume grain to increase the size of its liver through natural processes. If agricultural producers are successful in htis endeavor, the ban on foie gras sales and production in California will not occur.Sincerely,
Arnold Schwarzenegger
Friends of Animals expresses our profound dismay over the perversion of SB 1520, a perversion reflected in the above letter from the California governor.
The Humane Farming Association and Friends of Animals attempted to block passage of this bill when it became clear that it would be used for
a) a cover for the relevant production company to win a lawsuit by operation of law; and
b) the perpetuation of vivisection.
This is a setback for the progress being made in educating the public about the reality behind foie gras.
Moreover, when Europe is divided over this issue, and as various countries scurry to obtain scientific justification for this appalling product, how deeply troubling it is that agricultural researchers at a major university in the United States, The University of California - Davis, have effectively been recruited by the foie gras promoters to produce and approve a politically palatable method of continuing to produce liver pâté.
2 Comments
On October 28, 2004, Ellie wrote:
This legislation is obviously pro-industry, and very disappointing. There’s talk about a New York ban on foie gras. I hope the California law will not be held as a model for similar legislation.
On November 2, 2004, Marlene wrote:
This legislation is not even pro-industry, but a money making scheme to fatten only the Sonoma and Hudson companies’ pockets. Less employees are required to force feed and, let’s face it, there is NO care of the animals involved here. Every restaurant that serves this should be required to show films of the process to every ordering customer! Check out the prices on the web sometime. The love of money IS evil and consumption of foie gras a status symbol. Mores the pity!