--------------------------------------------------- Do GOACAN a favour, circulate this email to your family members, relatives, neighbours and friends. Help other CONSUMERS to be better informed. ---------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------- GOACAN holds awareness action on Save the Frogs Day ------------------------------------------------------------- On 30th April on the occasion of Save the Frogs Day, Consumer Forum volunteers under the banner of GOACAN held an Awareness Action in Margao to highlight the urgent need to stop the indiscriminate killing of Frogs and to appeal to consumers to stop eating Frog meat.
The Forum volunteers carrying colourful flags and placards, distributed information handouts to consumers informing them that during the monsoon which is the mating season for many species of frogs, in many villages frogs are hunted for the purpose of commercial sale to hotels, restaurants and for home consumption. The consumers were further informed that frogs feed on mosquitos which are responsible for the spread of malaria and other vector borne diseases therefore the frogs have to be protected. Similarly, the increasing incidence of snakes encroaching on human habitation and settlement areas is also attributed to the dwindling population of frogs in Goa. Many consumers were surprised to know that Bull frogs are protected under the Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972 whereby catching, selling, killing frogs or serving and eating frog meat contravenes the provision of the Act and attracts stringent punishment of imprisonment for a period of three years and a fine of Rs 25,000 when cases are booked by the Forest Department officials. Forum volunteers explained to consumers that killing of frogs is also an ecological crime against the food chain and therefore it is important that consumers should become environmentally conscious and say NO to frog meat. Meanwhile GOACAN has decided to encourage consumers to discuss the issue of the dwindling frog population and the spread of malaria in the forthcoming Gram Sabhas in their respective villages. GOACAN will also take up the issue with the respective Deputy Collectors at the meetings of the Taluka Committee for prevention of Malaria & other vector borne diseases and seek the co-operation of the Health Officers of the Primary Health Centres in the awareness drive. ---------------------------------------------------------- GOA CIVIC AND CONSUMER ACTION NETWORK ---------------------------------------------------------- promoting civic and consumer rights in Goa ---------------------------------------------------------- GOACAN Post Box 187 Margao, Goa 403 601 GOACAN Post Box 78 Mapusa, Goa 403 507 mail: [email protected] Visit: http://goacan.blogspot.com ---------------------------------------------------------- [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
