Cruel mink farming is a stain on Ireland - Read Emma McMenamy's article in today's Irish Mirror...

Wedged in tiny cages and gassed to death only to end up as clothing for wealthy women - cruel mink farming is a stain on Ireland.

Irish Mirror
6 April 2019

By Emma McMenamy

Stacked up in tiny cages with barely any room to move, these mink will soon be killed, their fur ending up on the backs of wealthy European women.

Bred to be made into expensive coats, hats and fashion accessories, these cute mammals face months wedged into wire enclosures before being gassed to death.

This is the fate awaiting mink at Ireland’s three remaining fur farms, which kill roughly 150,000 animals every year.

The industry, employing more than 120 people here, is worth €15million annually to the exchequer.

Despite numerous appeals from members of the public, animal rights groups and politicians to shut them down, these farms continue to operate and flourish.

The Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals are now calling for it to be banned once and for all.

Charity chief Dr Andrew Kelly said: “There is overwhelming scientific evidence fur farming is cruel.

“Mink are essentially wild animals and keeping them in small cages in which they are deprived of the ability to express their normal behaviours such as swimming and foraging is not acceptable.

“Every year approximately 150,000 mink are killed in Ireland solely for a non-essential fashion item. We are calling on the Government to put an end to this inhumane practice.

“Many EU member states have already adopted legislation to prohibit or limit fur farming and we want Ireland to put an end to this barbaric practice which should be consigned to the dustbin of history.

“Fur is an unnecessary luxury fashion item and there are synthetic alternatives readily available.

“Mink have very different welfare needs to domesticated farmed animals such as sheep.

“In the wild they are solitary animals and will hold territories of up to 3.5sq km or of up to 7km along a river bank.

“On intensive fur farms mink spend their entire lives in small barren cages measuring just 90cm by 30cm by 45cm.

“For a solitary mammal, living in close proximity to other mink means they cannot avoid social contact and this results in distress.

“On fur farms, mink cannot run, swim or hunt – all of which are natural behaviours. Deprivation of swimming water results in the same stress as deprivation of food.

“In cages, stereotypic behaviour such as constant spinning or jumping is common and fighting between animals in adjacent cages often results in serious injuries.

“Many countries in the EU have recognised the welfare of mink and other animals used for fur cannot be protected on fur farms under any circumstances. In 2018, Luxembourg became the 15th EU member state to ban fur farming.

“It is time for Ireland to recognise fur farming is cruel and caged mink do not have a suitable quality of life or even a life worth living. This is incompatible with the Government’s own animal welfare strategy.

“It’s time to make sure Ireland is not on the wrong side of history and introduce a ban with immediate effect.”

Of the 28 EU countries, 14, including Ireland, still allow the farming of mink. In February, Agriculture Minister Michael Creed rejected calls by the organisation representing veterinary surgeons to have fur farms shut.

He said he could not close down a “legitimate, highly-regulated and inspected industry”. Veterinary Ireland had originally considered a number of recommendations to improve the animals’ health and welfare.

However, they concluded the problems regularly encountered on the fur farms could not be prevented. TD Ruth Coppinger is also calling for them to be banned.

Bringing the Prohibition of Fur Farming Bill before the Dail in October, she said: “I emphasise that mink are not domesticated animals and they fear humans.

“The EU Scientific Committee on Animal Health and Animal Welfare has described fur farming as inherently unethical and stated it is not possible to stop it being cruel through regulation.

“Mink are native to North America and Russia. They are semi-aquatic and live as solo hunters.

“In fur farms, they are kept in cages and away from what would be considered their natural habitat. Given that they are ferocious hunters, they are kept within strictly secure premises.

“The first law related to mink in Ireland was aimed at keeping them out and to have regulations attached to any that might be here.

“Public opinion is very firmly against fur farming and the fur industry. That is reflected in the fact none of the major retailers in Ireland stocks fur products.

“When fur is identified in stores, it is usually swiftly removed by retailers. Fur is produced here for the export market.”

https://www.irishmirror.ie/news/irish-news/wedged-tiny-cages-gassed-death-14241928 

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ICABS ACTION ALERT

Urge Irish Prime Minister / Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and Agriculture Minister Michael Creed to ban fur farming.

Email "Ban fur farming NOW" to Leo.Varadkar@oir.ie; taoiseach@taoiseach.gov.ie; michael.creed@oir.ie

Tel: +353 (0)1 6194000 (Leo Varadkar)
Tel: 01-607 2000 or LoCall 1890-200510 (Michael Creed)
Tweet: @LeoVaradkar @creedcnw Ban fur farming NOW
Comment on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/campaignforleo/
https://www.facebook.com/michaelcreedtd

Email "Please support a ban on cruel fur farming" to all Fine Gael TDs

maria.bailey@oireachtas.ie; sean.barrett@oireachtas.ie; pat.breen@oireachtas.ie; colm.brophy@oireachtas.ie; richard.bruton@oireachtas.ie; peter.burke@oireachtas.ie; catherine.byrne@oireachtas.ie; Ciaran.Cannon@oireachtas.ie; joe.carey@oireachtas.ie; corcorankennedy@eircom.net; Simon.Coveney@oireachtas.ie; michael.creed@oireachtas.ie; michael.darcy@oireachtas.ie; Jim.Daly@oireachtas.ie; john.deasy@oireachtas.ie; Pat.Deering@oireachtas.ie; Regina.Doherty@oireachtas.ie; Paschal.Donohoe@oireachtas.ie; andrew.doyle@oireachtas.ie; bernard.durkan@oireachtas.ie; damien.english@oireachtas.ie; Alan.Farrell@oireachtas.ie; frances.fitzgerald@oir.ie; peterm.fitzpatrick@oireachtas.ie; charles.flanagan@oireachtas.ie; Brendan.Griffin@oireachtas.ie; Simon.Harris@oireachtas.ie; Martin.Heydon@oireachtas.ie; Heather.Humphreys@oireachtas.ie; paul.kehoe@oireachtas.ie; enda.kenny@oireachtas.ie; Sean.Kyne@oireachtas.ie; josepha.madigan@oireachtas.ie; helen.mcentee@oireachtas.ie; joe.mchugh@oireachtas.ie; Tony.McLoughlin@oireachtas.ie; Mary.MitchellOConnor@oireachtas.ie; Dara.Murphy@oireachtas.ie; Eoghan.Murphy@oireachtas.ie; hildegarde.naughton@oireachtas.ie; tom.neville@limerick.ie; michael.noonan@oireachtas.ie; kate.oconnell@oireachtas.ie; Patrick.O'Donovan@oireachtas.ie; fergus.odowd@oireachtas.ie; JohnPaul.Phelan@oireachtas.ie; michael.ring@oireachtas.ie; noel@noelrock.ie; david.stanton@oir.ie; leo.varadkar@oireachtas.ie

Please contact all your local TDs and urge them to support Solidarity's upcoming Fur Farm Prohibition bill. Contact details for TDs can be found at https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/members/tds/?term=/ie/oireachtas/house/dail/32

VIDEOS

ICABS footage - Victims of Ireland's cruel far farming
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=artr7qwCLLk&index=2&list=PL43C1F00F38986C68

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