There are renewed calls on the government to immediately shut down Ireland’s three remaining fur farms. The latest call follows a scientific statement from Eurogroup for Animals on “public health risks associated with SARS-CoV-2 and intensive mink production, signed by numerous scientists from the fields of virology, infectious diseases, clinical microbiology, veterinary medicine and environmental health”.
The group says that mink fur farms in Europe represent a risk for maintaining reservoirs of SARS-CoV-2 and mutated strains within human society and that the numerous outbreaks of coronavirus in mink farms in several European countries mean the EU should urgently suspend all mink farming.
“Future spillover between animals and humans can thwart the efforts to eliminate, or even control, the disease,” the statement added. “EU mink farms must not become a reservoir for future spillback of SARS-CoV-2 from animals to humans. Given the consequences of the risks identified in the scientific statement, and the substantial impact the pandemic has had so far on human lives, jobs and the European economy, Eurogroup for Animals and Fur Free Alliance urge the European Commission to take a precautionary approach to the severity of the crisis and suspend mink farming and breeding across the EU. This would be a proportionate answer to the risk.”
In November, the Irish Government disregarded advice from Chief Medial Officer Tony Holohan that an urgent cull be carried out on Irish fur farms amid growing fears that a mutated Covid19 strain detected in fur farms in Denmark could emerge here and undermine the effectiveness of human vaccines.
It was reported that in correspondence to the Department of Agriculture, Dr Holohan warned that if this mutated form of coronavirus was to become the dominant strain of Covid19 in the community, then it would be “a really big problem”.
It is imperative, given what is at stake, that the Irish Government takes preventative action and immediately shuts down the three fur farms.
In an email to Taoiseach Micheal Martin and Health Minister Stephen Donnelly, ICABS stated: “It would be unforgivable if this course of action was not followed and a mutated version of the virus emerged in Ireland, causing further infections, deaths and lockdowns.”
Both were reminded that the government has already pledged to ban fur farming and that the closure of fur farms is inevitable so therefore, closing them down now would merely be a matter of speeding up this process.
Find out more about Coronavirus (COVID-19) and how you can protect yourself and your family - https://www2.hse.ie/coronavirus/
Read the Eurogroup for Animals scientific statement
https://www.eurogroupforanimals.org/news/scientific-statement-public-health-risks-sars-cov-2-and-intensive-rearing-mink
ACTION ALERT
Please join us in urging the government to shut down Ireland’s three remaining fur farms NOW and put in place the promised ban on fur farming.
Micheál Martin, Taoiseach
Email: micheal.martin@oireachtas.ie; info@fiannafail.ie
Phone: +353 (0)1–618 4350 or +353 (0)21-432 0088
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/michealmartintd/
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/@MichealMartinTD
Leo Varadkar, Tánaiste
Telephone: +353 (0)1-640 3133
Email: leo.varadkar@oireachtas.ie; finegael@finegael.ie
Tweet to: @LeoVaradkar
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LeoVaradkar
Eamon Ryan TD
Leader, Green Party
Tel: 01 618 3894
Email: eamon.ryan@oireachtas.ie
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EamonRyanGP/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/EamonRyan
Health Minister, Stephen Donnelly
Tel: (01) 201 7300 or (01) 618 3041
Email: ministersoffice@health.gov.ie
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/DonnellyforWicklow
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/DonnellyStephen
Charlie McConalogue
Minister for Agriculture
Tel: (01) 618 3199
Email: charlie.mcconalogue@oireachtas.ie
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/CharlieMcConalogue
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/@McConalogue
Please support our campaign with a donation
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SEE ALSO:
Victims of Ireland's cruel fur farming
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=artr7qwCLLk
Mink screaming: Tell Irish Government to shut down fur farms
https://youtu.be/62P0saq6DO0
A retired Irish fur farmer has revealed on the Claire Byrne show on RTE Radio 1 that fur farming was introduced into Ireland by two vets. Later in the show he admitted that he broke the necks of mink with his hands
https://www.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=3439515122830688&id=463547953760768
Coronavirus testing at Irish mink farms under way
https://www.rte.ie/news/2020/1109/1176939-coronavirus-mink/
COVID19 testing at Irish fur farms: Govt must shut them down
https://www.facebook.com/banbloodsports/posts/3425502754231925
Letter: Government should roll out ban on fur farming
https://www.facebook.com/banbloodsports/posts/3427209740727893
Jennifer Whitmore TD urges Taoiseach to "move immediately to ban fur farming in Ireland”
https://www.facebook.com/banbloodsports/videos/1142900706112158/
"We've drafted a bill to ban fur farming in Ireland": Congratulations to Solidarity TDs Ruth Coppinger and Paul Murphy on their announcement today (12 July 2018)
https://business.facebook.com/banbloodsports/videos/1750869355028615/
"In relation to the fur farm Bill: Just to announce that they have actually drafted a law, and it is in the queue of legislation - we've seen it, to outlaw fur farming" - Ruth Coppinger TD
https://www.facebook.com/banbloodsports/videos/848063602296131/
80 per cent of people in Ireland believe fur farming should be banned, all the main parties (except Fine Gael) now support a ban and Veterinary Ireland have condemned fur farming as cruel - Listen to the Ruth Coppinger TD (Solidarity) interview on RTE Radio 1’s Drivetime today (17 June 2019). https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=194380304848086
The value of fur exports from Ireland has plummeted by over 80 per cent in the past six years, it has emerged https://www.facebook.com/banbloodsports/posts/2258290974286448