It is a pleasure to speak in this debate. I congratulate the hon. Member for Hertsmere (Oliver Dowden) on introducing it and on setting the scene so well. I will focus on South Korea and what I believe is its responsibility, maybe not to respond directly to this debate, but to take on board the views of those of us in the Chamber.
This issue has flooded my inbox, as it has those of other hon. Members, so it was important that I came along to make a contribution to this afternoon’s debate and to represent all those who took the time to email me, write to me or phone me about this emotive issue.
As the hon. Member for Hertsmere said, South Korea will host the winter Olympics in 2018, so we must ensure that this debate is heard in South Korea. It is not a matter of hiding what they do; it is a matter of stopping what they do. That is what we are aiming to achieve. We have been thrilled by the results of team GB, particularly those of the Paralympics team and our own young Bethany Firth, who took a gold in swimming, having trained at the local swimming pool not five minutes from my office. The buzz surrounding the build-up to the Olympics and the events are great for national pride and we take pleasure in seeing our teams do well on a world stage. This is what the Olympics are all about, and to have them tainted by concern about the host nation can never be good. We must focus on the 2018 winter Olympics and where they will be held. That nation must also respond.
I remember the shock in my history classes of seeing Nazi Germany hosting the 1936 Olympics, using it as a forum for its propaganda and political games. I was horrified and hoped the world had learned had a lesson. Politics and sport must not mix, and although we have never repeated the mistakes of that Olympics, I have been worried on a few occasions.
I raised concern in this House about the Beijing Olympics and the human rights concerns that many of us in the House have that perhaps there was a forum for dialogue. I do the same this afternoon, but on a different issue. I am not asking for us to wield an influence that we do not have, because we cannot make South Korea stop what it is doing, but we can use this debate as an opportunity to highlight issues and perhaps play a small part in bringing about change. One of those issues and the reason we are here is the petition of 102,000 signatures, many from Northern Ireland. Some were from my constituents who expressed horror that an estimated 2 million to 3 million dogs suffer indescribably in South Korea, the only country that officially farms dogs for their meat each and every year.
Although the dog meat trade exists across Asia, South Korea is the only country in which that trade is sustained via intensive dog-breeding farms, both large and small, as opposed to stolen or otherwise captured dogs in China, Vietnam, Laos and elsewhere. Many of us, including my right hon. Friend the Member for Belfast North (Mr Dodds) and my hon. Friend the Member for Belfast East (Gavin Robinson), have spoken clearly on the two issues. I commend them on that, because they have been at the forefront back home of ensuring that the issues are highlighted.
It is estimated that 2.5 million to 3 million dogs were slaughtered for human consumption in South Korea in 2014, having been bred and raised on more than 17,000 farms there, ranging in size from backyard operations with 20 or so dogs to large industrialised farms with thousands of dogs throughout the peninsula. I have been told by the Humane Society International that dog meat is sold in markets and restaurants as boshintang, a peppery soup that is believed by some to be invigorating—something to which the hon. Member for Hertsmere referred—or as a tonic in traditional health shops. There seems to be a misconception that dog meat can do those things. No, it cannot, and those who believe it can are certainly not thinking logically.
The industry is largely seasonal, with dog meat particularly popular during the summer months over the Boknal days of July and August, when 70% to 80% of the dog meat is consumed, even by those who never eat it at any other time of year. There is a tradition in South Korea of dog meat consumption at certain times of the year. Many farmers will have their dogs slaughtered just before Boknal, when they will fetch the highest prices, meaning that the collective suffering of as many as 3 million dogs every year is focused mainly, but not exclusively, on supplying demand for a soup consumed in just one month of the year.
Although the vast majority of Koreans do not routinely eat dog meat and surveys show that it is least likely to be eaten by younger Koreans, the “right” of others to eat it is still defended by a majority. Despite the growing opposition, the value of the dog meat industry was estimated
at £1.02 billion in 2015 and it provides employment for some 32,000 farm and restaurant workers. HSI’s strategic approach in South Korea takes on board that context and it actively engages in partnerships with dog farmers to demonstrate that a negotiated, state-sponsored phase-out of the industry is both feasible and desirable for both dogs and farmers. There are some people in South Korea with ability and in positions of power who are willing to see change. There is a feeling that more politicians are open to discussing the cruelty-to-animals aspect. During the past year, a growing number of South Korean politicians have been reflecting increasing public concern within their own country and outside it as well.