There are renewed calls on the Irish Government to end fur farming after Luxembourg this month become the 10th nation in the European Union to ban fur farms. Fur Free Alliance is reporting that "a new progressive animal welfare law, that was proposed in 2016 by Minister of Agriculture Fernand Etgen, was passed that includes a prohibition on fur farming. The animal welfare act will go into effect in October 2018. Since Luxembourg currently has no fur farming industry, the law will mainly prevent new mink farms from being built." The group adds that the new welfare act is based on the assumption that animals are “living non-human sentient beings with a nervous system scientifically capable of feeling pain and experiencing other emotions” including “suffering and anguish”. In May 2016 the Minister of Agriculture of Luxembourg, Fernand Etgen, presented the new law, declaring that “animal welfare legislation requires profound reform because of what scientific advances had revealed about animals, and because of changes in how animals are viewed by human society." Luxembourg follows a long list of countries — including Croatia, the UK, Austria, Switzerland, the Czech Republic, Germany, Japan, etc — that have all ended fur farming. In January, the government in Norway pledged to shut down all of the country's 250 fur farms by 2025. It's time for the Irish Government to follow suit and ban this cruel industry. An ICABS petition calling for a ban on fur farming in Ireland has been signed by over 23,000 people. A Journal.ie opinion poll has shown that 79 per cent of people are in favour of a ban on fur farming here. 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 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. See ICABS video footage showing mink pacing back and forth in the cages and repeatedly jumping against the bars of the cages to try and get free https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BvX1O9GvsQ4 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