A Department of Agriculture report which has surfaced this month has farcically claimed that mink permanently confined in barren fur farm cages and denied their natural instincts to roam and swim "appear to be content and happy". The 2017 fur farm inspection report documents, obtained by the National Animal Rights Association (www.naracampaigns.org) via a Freedom of Information request, also claim that the thousands of animals caged on the shameful farms and gassed to death with Carbon Monoxide are not stressed. You can read the documents at https://drive.google.com/open?id=1_XHTeyXRWoReQo6sxE3lpFubQD9Y2HDr In one of the documents, a Department veterinary inspector claims that "on the day of inspection, ALL the mink on the farm appeared healthy and there was no evidence of any stereotypical behaviour or stress in any of the animals." This is in stark contrast to what ICABS witnessed when we visited a fur farm in County Laois. We saw rows and rows of caged mink displaying stereotypical behaviour - pacing back and forth and repeatedly jumping against the bars of the cages to try and get free - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BvX1O9GvsQ4 It is to Ireland's shame that it continues to be a part of the fur trade. On the three remaining fur farms here, over 180,000 mink were caged and killed last year. The animals endure a life of misery in captivity until, at six months of age, they are pulled from the cages, thrown into a box and poisoned with carbon monoxide gas before the fur is pulled from their bodies. Outrageous claims are made in the Department documents that gassing mink to death is "humane" and that "no pain, distress or suffering of mink was observed". Mink are semi-aquatic and evolved physiologically to hold their breath. They are able to detect a lack of oxygen in their blood and are prone to hypoxia, which means that their suffering can continue after they are thrown into the gassing box. VIDEOS ICABS footage - Victims of Ireland's cruel far farming https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=artr7qwCLLk&index=2&list=PL43C1F00F38986C68 Latest NARA footage showing caged mink in a fur farm in Donegal https://www.facebook.com/NARAcampaignsIRELAND/videos/1694193503937318/ Mink pulled from cages and thrown into gassing box https://youtu.be/m52k4aPXahU?t=3m6s An analysis of the inspection reports by NARA showed that: * 183,258 mink were killed on Irish fur farms in 2017 * There are only 46 people employed in this industry, between the 3 remaining farms. * New staff are "mentored" - not formally trained. * 60 mink killed at a time in the killing boxes. * Inspector found it "difficult to verify compliance" of mink being killed in box as their view was "obscured by condensation". * Overly bias review in favour of fur farms e.g. mink look "contented and happy", "management is very focused on ensuring good husbandry", "no welfare issues seen", "records meticulously kept", "good killing observed", "no pain, distress or suffering of mink was observed". * Cages and concrete floor cleaned in January (once a year). ACTION ALERT Please join us in urging Minister Michael Creed and Taoiseach Leo Varadkar to put in place a long overdue ban on fur farming. Email "Ban fur farming NOW" to Leo.Varadkar@oir.ie, michael.creed@oir.ie, taoiseach@taoiseach.gov.ie, AnimalHealthAndWelfareAct@agriculture.gov.ie Tel: +353 (0)1 6194000 (Leo Varadkar) Tel: 01-607 2000 or LoCall 1890-200510 (Michael Creed) Tweet: @campaignforleo @creedcnw Ban fur farming NOW Comment on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/campaignforleo/ https://www.facebook.com/michaelcreedtd