San Francisco Chinatown "wet markets" under scrutiny for alleged animal cruelty
An activist group said their complaints about alleged violations at San Francisco "wet markets" have fallen on deaf ears. Meanwhile, the Chinese community said the markets are rooted in history.
In a nondescript motel room on the edge of Chinatown, Scott David is preparing for a different kind of mission.
Standing in front of a mirror he carefully puts on his disguise. He aims to explore a San Francisco market famous for its fresh food; perhaps a little too fresh.
"It's extremely important to blend into your surroundings," he said.
David is an undercover investigator using a hidden camera to document what his advocacy group Animal Outlook calls inhumane conditions in California's so-called "wet markets."
"Wet markets are typically markets where they keep live animals," he said. "The animals are actually butchered within the markets. You actually can't take home live animals. They have to slaughter the animals right there."
Even before entering a single shop, a delivery man dumps live fish into a waterless trash can, a practice the animal activist group says is cruel and indicative of the abuse allegedly happening in these markets.
Inside a tank with live crabs is so tightly packed, they can't even move, while others are tossed into a cardboard box on the floor. Turtles and frogs are dumped into plastic bins. One turtle flipped on its back is ignored by workers for hours.
"Cramped conditions for animals can lead to a lot of transitions of diseases between other species and eventually through people," David said.
Chinatown community leaders maintain that wet markets are rooted in ancient tradition.
"It just put the community in a bad light," said David Luu, the president of the San Francisco Chinese Chamber of Commerce.
"They can reach out to us and identify what they think is inhume so that we can work with our merchants and our businesses and say, 'Hey, let us help' rather than coming in and start attacking our businesses," said Luu.
Animal Outlook says it's about following the law.
"The fact is that these animals are suffering in these sorts of situations. They don't need to be," said David.
Previous investigations and video shot last fall at markets around the city allegedly show graphic scenes of illegal activity, including turtles being cut open while their legs are still moving and frogs getting decapitated while alive.
Under California law, animals must be killed humanely, meaning they have to be rendered unconscious or insensible to pain before death.
But despite reporting these issues since 2022, Animal Outlook says it has only issued one citation.
San Francisco Animal Care and Control declined an interview for this story, but provided a statement that said, "While the allegations are shocking, SFACC can only act on what we see. We cannot cite based on videos. Our animal control officers respond to constituent complaints and concerns as quickly as we can with the resources we have available."
Michael Angelo Torres, the chairman of the San Francisco Animal Commission, which advises city officials on animal welfare issues, said more needs to be done.
"We can have more enforcement visits, we can cite the perpetrators of these crimes, and I believe we can bring awareness to the community," he said.
