GEESE PLUCKED ALIVE FOR COSY DUVETS
April 28, 2009 12:00 AM
Lib Dem MEP for the North East Fiona Hall is calling for an end to the inhumane practice of live plucking of geese.
Recent documentaries shown in Sweden and Germany have revealed that millions of birds are being plucked alive each year in order to obtain goose down and feathers for use in articles such as duvets and padded jackets.
Fiona Hall is calling for this practice to be stopped immediately and has signed a written declaration in the European Parliament to urging proper enforcement of regulations already in place for the protection of animals kept for farming purposes.
Said Fiona:
"I was shocked by the evidence of geese being plucked alive in Hungary and other European countries. This procedure causes birds to suffer from a great deal of stress and unreasonable pain - up to four times during their life times. It is an inhumane and cruel practice which clearly violates European regulations for the protection of animals kept for farming purposes.
"It is hard for North East consumers to avoid duvets and jackets filled with live-plucked feathers and down as there is no information on labels about how the stuffing is obtained.
"The plucking of live geese is also common practice in China, the world's largest producer of down and other feathers. But if we can ensure that there is a properly enforced ban within the EU on the plucking of live birds, then at least consumers can be reassured that feathers and down sourced within Europe were obtained only from dead birds and that the geese had not been subjected to unreasonable suffering and stress.
"I want to see proper enforcement and labelling so that concerned North East shoppers can "shop European" in the interests of animal welfare."
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