PETA urges University of York to remove poultry from its menus following Long Boi memorial

Animal rights charity PETA has written to the University of York urging for change following the unveiling of the Long Boi statue.

Writing and publishing a letter to York’s chancellor Dr Heather Melville, PETA requested that the university remove duck, as well as other birds, from all campus menus.

The letter comes after the unveiling of the Long Boi statue last month, which saw Radio 1 DJ Greg James host a funeral on campus for the beloved campus duck. 

On the back of the unveiling just two months ago, PETA has claimed that there is an even greater need for the University of York to respect Long Boi’s memory and protect his fellow birds.

The charity has even offered to install a vegan starter kit stand next to the new statue, encouraging students to also honour Long Boi’s legacy in this way. 

PETA’s vice president of Programmes, Elisa Allen, has spoken on the importance of birds on York’s campus, explaining why birds should be taken off of menus. Speaking about the legacy of Long Boi, she said: “Just like Long Boi, every bird is an individual with a unique personality who experiences love, joy, pain, and fear and doesn’t want to be hacked to bits for their flesh any more than we would.”

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The plea covers ducks, geese, chickens, turkeys, and other birds that are often available on food menus. Elisa explains: “PETA is urging the University of York to honour Long Boi’s memory by sparing a thought for all of his feathered brethren and leaving birds off the menu.”

Considering that both of York’s campuses are filled with birds, the presence of duck on the food menus can be seen as quite unsettling by some students. Across both campuses, the food outlets do have a range of plant based choices, but they are mostly fridge items rather than menu staples.

Uni of York’s Vegan Society told The York Tab that PETA’s appeal highlights how some animals are seen as worth protecting, and others as merely food, despite all experiencing pain and suffering. Vegan Society also explained how the plea aligns with the plant-based campaign currently running on campus, which urges universities to go fully plant-based in order to meet their climate targets and keep costs down.

The uni saw a big push surrounding food policy last year, with the Student Union claiming that from its own accord, the uni had moved to a 75 per cent plant based menu. The campaign for a fully plant based menu, previously passed on YUSUggestions with 142 student votes, was dismissed and labelled currently financially infeasible, as well as a significant accessibility barrier with detrimental effects.

This rejection saw both the Students’ Union Environment and Ethics Officers resign earlier this year, claiming that the union has become “entirely hostile to bringing forward progressive change on campus.” The union resolved to move to a 80 per cent plant-based menu within the next academic year, and 90 per cent within the next three years.

PETA has offered an alternative for the Uni of York, explaining the benefits of this change: “By replacing the flesh of dead birds with delicious, kind, inclusive, and green vegan options, the University of York can take the lead in creating a better future for the planet, human health, and of course, gentle, intelligent birds.”

In a final statement, PETA’s letter to the York Chancellor read: “We believe that, wherever he may be, Long Boi would be happy to know that students were reaching for a vegan starter kit… rather than the body parts of his fellow birds. We hope you’ll consider honouring him in this meaningful way.”

The vegan starter kits offered by PETA are filled with recipes and tips for making the switch from meat eating.

Gen Andrews, Union Development Officer for York SU, said: “The union’s approach to the content of its menus balances the importance of a sustainable and environmentally-conscious diet, alongside the needs of a diverse student community.

“Recently, we have focused on the importance of providing students the information they need to make informed decisions, rather than enforced ones, regarding the food they eat. We have recently introduced carbon tracking of menu items in SU venues, calculated and displayed using Klimato’s A-E ranking system. These figures are clearly displayed on in-venue menus.

“In October, both the Courtyard and the Glasshouse achieved an overall B grade as an average of all sales made over the month, aligning with the goal of the Paris Agreement to limit global temperature rise to below 2°C by 2050. I am currently actively pursuing plans to encourage the university to adopt a similar approach of informative visibility at their campus venues.

“As a founding member of the Sustainable SUs Charter, sustainability and environmental action are core aspects of our work as a union, and shine through in many areas. For example, the new Environment and Social Responsibility Forum, a sub-committee of SUmmit, will give sustainability a more elevated platform within the Union. For more information, take a look at my latest Instagram post.

“For those interested in learning more about the SU’s stance on plant-based catering, I would refer them both to the Union’s active policy on Plant-Based Catering and the statement made by former YUSU President Pierrick Roger.”