LIVE animals don't belong in supermarkets - for two reasons.
This is the response of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) to recent reports that supermarkets are selling exotic live animals.
It has expressed 'serious concern' over the welfare of such animals like freshwater turtles and bullfrogs that are being sold in Sheng Siong supermarkets.That is not its only concern, especially in light of the recent fatal food-poisoning saga in Geylang Serai.
These live animals are also carriers of potentially deadly bacteria.
SPCA executive officer Deirdre Moss said: 'Even with the existence of guidelines, how is humane slaughter monitored and guaranteed? Unless a skilled person is carrying it out, the animal is bound to suffer.'
She said the SPCA has been protesting the issue of live slaughter in markets and eating establishments since 2001 as the animals are often kept in cramped conditions before being killed.
She said: 'It's so widely accepted here that most people don't even question it. But think about it, crabs in restaurants are tied up for who knows how long.
'Some may go faster, but some are confined for hours and hours in unnatural conditions. The food may be fresh but it's at the expense of the animals.'
The Singapore Environment Council is also against the selling of live animals in supermarkets.
Its executive director, Mr Howard Shaw, said: 'Although supermarkets boast about freshness, they are not supposed to function as traditional slaughter houses, so there are potential public health risks. There's also the issue of cruelty as animals are kept in confined spaces.
'Just for the sake of seeing something live before you take it home, I think the cons outweigh the pros.'
Introducing livestock into the retail environment could also lead to trade in threatened species, Mr Shaw said.
'I know that AVA (Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority) monitors Singapore's commitment against illegal wildlife trade. But when exotics appear in the mass retail market, it can be difficult to monitor,' he said.
A recent case is the Sheng Siong Supermarket in Commonwealth, which kept turtles in two red plastic containers as seen in photographs taken last week.
'Pitiful'
Ms Christina Kwan, 27, a civil servant who sent the pictures, wrote to the AVA last Thursday to ask them to investigate the supermarket for the 'pitiful' way the animals were being kept.
There were more than 10 turtles in each container, whose length and width were roughly the size of The New Paper when opened up.
Quoting the Animals and Birds Act, which gives AVA the power to enter and search any premises on suspicion of cruelty, she said: 'Cramming them into containers is not acceptable as their welfare is being compromised. The likelihood of (them) not being fed is high.'
AVA replied to Ms Kwan that when its officers visited the outlet on Monday, they did not see any turtles.
They reminded the outlet manager to keep the turtles in clean water and to provide sufficient space.
AVA added it would conduct follow-up visits.
Ms Kwan told The New Paper: 'Hopefully, supermarkets will exercise diligent care in their daily handling of live animals and treat them with due respect and dignity.'
Besides animal cruelty, there are also concerns that selling live animals in such a manner provides a source for the outbreak of potentially deadly diseases.
Ms Moss said: 'If such exotic animals are to be eaten, their slaughter should be in regulated conditions as is the case with other meats for consumption which are sold chilled.
Salmonella bacteria, which live on the skin of reptiles and are also found in the faeces of other animals, can be passed on to humans, causing diarrhoea, fever, vomiting and abdominal cramps.
In response to our queries about animal welfare, Sheng Siong's spokesman said: 'We try to create an environment that is similar to their habitat. Our personnel are trained to handle live animals with swift and precise actions to ensure that they do not suffer.'
As for public health concerns, the spokesman said: 'To prevent transmission of disease, we urge all consumers to exercise good hygiene habits after contact with animal faeces.
'We strive to provide our customers with a clean and safe shopping environment constantly.'
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