Just Say No To Rabbit On The Menu

On June 16, 2004, an article in the Birmingham News newspaper highlighted the
growing rabbit industry in Alabama and the Southeast. (See a shortened version of
the article here.)

The article sited examples of rabbits for meat, medical purposes, and generally
focused on the business end of farming rabbits.  One part of the article mentioned
Carnival Cruise Lines * as a major player in the meat industry.  It was estimated in the
article that the cruise lines purchases approximately 4,000 rabbits per month to serve
on their cruise lines.  Ron Sparks, Commissioner of the Alabama Department of
Agriculture and Industries was quoted as saying, "Developing the rabbit industry is
one of my top priorities and I am committed that we see this project through and that
we open a new market for our Alabama farmers and their products."

Alabama EARS member Rhonda Wright was the first to write Carnival Cruise Lines in
protest of their dinner menu.  She received a response from Carnival stating, "the
story in the magazine contained an error.  Carnival Cruise Lines does not serve
rabbits on it's ships."  Rhonda then emailed the reporter who wrote the article and he
responded, "This took some tracking down through the Alabama Department of
Agriculture, but Carnival Corporation owns several cruise lines.  Carnival owned
Princess Cruise Lines  purchases the Alabama rabbits.  The ships branded "Carnival
Cruise Lines" does not serve rabbit but acknowledges that its sister cruise line
[Princess Cruise Lines] owned by the Carnival Corporation does."

Please take a few minutes to write to Princess Cruise Lines and to Ron
Sparks (addresses below) to express your displeasure of rabbits as a meal
item.  When writing Princess Cruise Lines, EARS recommends firmly stating
that you would never take a cruise on a line or a sister line of a company that
serves rabbits on board.  We have sample letters that you can print out and
mail to Princess Cruise Lines and to Mr. Sparks.

Alan Buckelew, President
Princess Cruises
24844 Avenue Rockefeller
Santa Clarita, California 91355


Ron Sparks, Commissioner
Alabama Department of Agriculture and
Industries
Post Office Box 3336
Montgomery, Alabama 36109-0336

Alabama EARS sent the following letters to Princess Cruise Lines and Ron
Sparks, Commissioner of the Alabama Department of Agriculture and
Industries.

An edited version of the following letter appeared in the Letters to the Editor of
The Birmingham News on July 28,2004