The Dutch Parliament has voted overwhelmingly to permanently shut down an estimated 128 mink fur farms, following coronavirus outbreaks at 17 of them. The parliamentary decision is expected to be approved by the government.
The Humane Society of the US is reporting that the move comes after “the government confirmed that two farm workers were ‘extremely likely’ to have contracted the virus from mink”. Hundreds of thousands of mink were subsequently killed on the infected farms “to prevent future outbreaks”.
The Netherlands was in the process of phasing out fur farming, with a ban due to take effect in 2023 but this latest vote is likely to speed up the demise of the cruel industry. The country has already phased out fox and chinchilla fur farming.
Denmark - Europe’s largest mink fur producer - has also detected infected mink on fur farms.
Here in Ireland, fur farming shamefully continues. The government has said that instead of an immediate ban, it will be phased out. The proposed Programme for Government includes a pledge to “immediately prioritise the drafting of legislation for the phasing out of fur-farming, publishing legislation in this area as soon as possible”. There are no details given on how long the phase-out period will be.
ACTION ALERT
Contact Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and Fine Gael and urge them to respect the wishes of the 80 per cent majority who want fur farming banned and immediately shut down Ireland’s three remaining fur farms where mink are cruelly caged and gassed to death at 6 months of age.
Leo Varadkar TD, Taoiseach
Leader, Fine Gael
Telephone: 01-619 4020
Email: taoiseach@taoiseach.gov.ie; leo.varadkar@oireachtas.ie; finegael@finegael.ie
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/@LeoVaradkar
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LeoVaradkar
Fine Gael Headquarters
51 Upper Mount Street
Dublin 2
Tel: 01-6198444
Email: finegael@finegael.ie
Read the full Humane Society report at
https://blog.humanesociety.org/2020/06/breaking-news-dutch-parliament-votes-to-permanently-close-mink-fur-farms.html
VIDEOS: Ireland's cruel fur farming
Mink screaming on an Irish fur farm
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2cP1nQ5pdSY
Agitated mink jump against bars of cages
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BvX1O9GvsQ4
Mink desperately jumping against the bars of their cages at a fur farm in County Laois
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SBTLvrJ_ZRU
Victims of Ireland's cruel fur farming
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=artr7qwCLLk