The clandestine sale at slaughterhouses as contraband
The world has witnessed many scandals related to animal meat, from horse meat, cat meat to dog meat.
Recently, the ban on dog meat in Jakarta (Indonesia) continues to be the center of debate, dividing animal rights groups and those who consider it a "traditional dish".
At a deserted restaurant in the capital, Alfindo Hutagaol sat in front of a plate of rice, green sauce and grilled dog meat. The meal, once familiar to many, is now banned. Jakarta is one of the few places where the sale of dog and cat meat is still legal.
However, this week (from November 24), the city government announced a ban on the sale of meat from animals that pose a risk of transmitting rabies, including dogs, cats, bats, monkeys and civets. The move comes amid a growing campaign against dog and cat meat in the world's largest Muslim country.
Although Muslims do not eat dog meat, it is quite popular among some other communities in Indonesia.
Speaking to AFP reporters before the ban was issued, Mr. Alfindo affirmed that he was one of those who completely opposed it.
“There should be no such ban. Don't just look at the negative side, look at the benefits too,” he said.
Although not common, dog meat is considered a “folk medicine” in some parts of Indonesia. In some places, people believe that eating dog meat helps reduce the symptoms of dengue fever.
Another diner who is also a fan of dog meat, Sunggul Sagala (43), said this dish is a tradition for some communities and affirmed that “it cannot be removed from the dining table suddenly”.
It is known that even before the official ban took effect, the dog meat trade in Jakarta had turned "underground", no longer being sold openly as before.
This caused the price of dog meat to skyrocket, suddenly becoming more expensive than beef, said Mr. Sunggul:
“In reality, buying dog meat now is no different than looking for contraband. Trading at slaughterhouses has also become more clandestine,” he said.
Other localities have imposed their own bans, such as the city of Semarang (Central Java). In 2024, local authorities stopped a truck carrying more than 200 dogs on its way to a slaughterhouse and arrested five people involved.
However, Jakarta has yet to announce a plan for how to deal with the animals left behind when demand falls. South Korea has had similar problems. When the dog meat ban came into effect, dog farmers had no idea where to send the dogs they didn’t sell.
The ban is welcome, but enforcement is not easy.
The ban, which will be extended for six months, has been welcomed by animal rights groups.
Ms. Merry Ferdinandez, representative of the Dog Meat Free Indonesia (DMFI) alliance, assessed this as “Jakarta's clear commitment to promoting animal welfare”.
A DMFI survey in 2021 showed that 93% of Indonesians oppose the dog meat trade and want a complete ban.
However, a study a year later recorded 9,500 dogs, mostly seized from the streets of West Java province, where rabies is still endemic, and brought into Jakarta for consumption.
Although the ban only applies to the capital, DMFI hopes the move will encourage other localities to follow suit.
Jakarta is currently one of 11 Indonesian provinces recognized as rabies-free since 2004.
Hasudungan Sidabalok, head of Jakarta's agriculture maritime food security agency, said the ban was "one of the efforts" to maintain the achievements of the past 20 years.
Although the open sale of dog meat is no longer common, Jakarta still has 19 restaurants serving the dish and at least two slaughterhouses operating. Mr. Sidabalok admitted that changing the habits of some communities “is not easy.”
After the 6-month extension period, violators may be subject to penalties ranging from written warnings to revocation of business licenses.
Source: https://dantri.com.vn/du-lich/noi-nguoi-dan-mua-thit-cho-phai-len-lut-nhu-tim-hang-cam-sau-quy-dinh-moi-20251128231126191.htm
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