Issue Type: Fur

Humane Society International / United Kingdom

A is for Accountable: The McCartney A to Z Manifesto: Spring 2021 Collection is a guiding alphabet of the values and vision of iconic British designer Stella McCartney. A is for accountable—personified by the Adrienne coat, made from repurposed #FurFreeFur, and an original piece by American artist Rashid Johnson titled ‘Accountability’. Humane Society International and the Humane Society of the United States are proud to work alongside Stella McCartney to strive for a fur free future, and we are delighted to profile the first letter of the A to Z Manifesto that so encapsulates our shared values.

A statement from Stella McCartney:

“A is for Accountable—something Humane Society International, the HSUS and Stella McCartney have very much in common, and that we both strive towards in our day-to-day work. Being accountable in this day and age is so important, and is one of the goals of the McCartney A to Z Manifesto. It is a guiding alphabet of who we are and who we hope to be, and I hope that our commitment to the values and vision contained in it will not only keep my team accountable but also have a positive impact on the fashion industry as a whole. I am so proud to have worked closely with HSI and the HSUS for many years now, and hugely admire and support their ongoing commitment and endless campaign work towards helping to prohibit the sales of fur in the fashion industry, and therefore preventing the death of millions of innocent animals.

“At Stella McCartney, we have never used leather, feathers, fur or exotic skins in our collections and we do not believe that animals should die for the sake of fashion. It is incredible to see that over the past few years countless brands, designers, leading department stores and even states and countries have woken up to the unequivocal cruelty of the fur industry and have subsequently stopped using fur in their collections, in their stores or allowing fur to be manufactured in certain areas.

“Fur has no place in any compassionate society and today its use is unnecessary and inexcusable. Plainly, fur is immoral, cruel and barbaric.

“In addition to the overwhelming ethical reasons for banning the sale of fur, evidence and research proves that fur is completely unsustainable. The fur industry is quick in trying to defend this, by saying fur is natural and therefore sustainable but of course this is false and completely misleading. There are certainly environmental implications where faux fur is concerned, however it is now produced so well that there is no reason to wear real fur. We have been working very hard at Stella McCartney to innovate sustainable solutions like KOBA® Fur Free Fur—the next generation of faux fur and the first commercially available faux fur using only bio-based ingredients, reducing energy use by up to 30 percent and greenhouse gas emissions by up to 63 percent compared to conventional synthetics.

“I urge everyone reading this to spread the word, be accountable and hold brands accountable, not only when it comes to fur, but to protecting Mother Earth. We saw during our global moment of pause that nature can heal, which should give us hope for the future—our actions can make a difference, and the time to act is now. It has never been more important.”

Take Action: Act now to ban fur sales around the globe, starting with a #FurFreeBritain, at hsi.org/furfreebritain.

Humane Society International / Europe

Photos from an investigation at a Finnish Fur Farm Kristo Murrimaa, Oikeutta Elaimille
Kristo Muurimaa/Oikeutta eläimille
Raccoon dog on a fur farm
HSI/Europe believes that consumers must be able to make informed decisions about the products they buy. Labelling is an important part of this.

In recent years, there has been a significant upsurge in cheap fur products entering the EU market. This fur is primarily used as trim in relatively inexpensive garments. It can be difficult for consumers to distinguish between animal fur and good quality fake fur, which is as soft and luxurious-looking as the real thing.

With animal fur being sold at such low prices, consumers will often assume that an item of clothing is so cheap that it cannot possibly include real fur.

EU rules on labelling fur products
At present, the EU law (i.e. Regulation (EU) No 1007/2011) requires manufacturers to state explicitly that textile products contain ‘non-textile parts of animal origin’. This applies not only to fur, but also to down, feather, bone, leather, pearl and horn, which can be confusing.

This labelling requirement is unfortunately only applicable to the products that fall within the scope of the Textile Regulation and consist of at least 80% textile fibres by weight. This means that garments containing animal fur made of less than 80% textile fibres fall beyond of the scope of the legislation. Perversely this means that the more animal fur used in a garment, the less there is a legal requirement to label it as such.

Failure of EU Member States to enforce the law

While this labelling requirement is better than nothing, it has become evident that it is being widely flouted by manufacturers and the legislation is not being well enforced.

With our Fur Free Alliance (FFA) colleagues, in 2017 we produced an investigative report Misleading and Mislabelled: Fur Labelling Problems in the EU Market, which revealed a woeful lack of compliance with the legislation. These findings are likely only a tiny portion of the failure of manufacturers and retailers to implement the legislation and the failure of EU Member States to properly enforce the EU fur labelling rules.

The report concludes that the present EU labelling requirement under the Textiles Regulation is inadequate and confusing for clothing consumers, primarily because it does not provide sufficient information on non-textile parts of animal origin.

The loopholes in the law and the lack of explicit information on the presence of fur, whether for store-bought products or products purchased on popular online shopping sites, means that shoppers cannot make informed decisions when purchasing products that may contain real animal fur.

What is HSI calling for?

Fur labelling should give consumers the information they need to make informed purchasing decisions. HSI is urging the European Parliament to call on the European Commission to commit to delivering a legislative proposal that would require the meaningful labelling of all products containing animal fur (irrespective of the percentage or weight of fur included in the textile product, or non-textile products) in order to allow consumers to make informed decisions when purchasing garments and other products containing fur.

Legislation should also require labels to include the Latin (scientific) name of the species used, the country of origin and information on how it was obtained. This stricter labelling requirement has already been enacted in Switzerland. It should be enacted for all of Europe.

Humane Society International / Europe

Raccoon dog in a cage
The HSUS Animals raised for fur – like this raccoon dog – live miserably in cages before they are killed for their pelts.

Each year, around 37 million animals in the European Union are still raised and killed solely for their fur. In 2018 alone, 34.7m mink, 2.7m foxes, 166,000 raccoon dogs and 227,000 chinchillas were bred in the EU. Denmark, Finland, Poland and the Netherlands (which is currently phasing out the industry) are the biggest European fur producers.

Fur farming bans

The good news is that various EU Member States have already taken legislative action to ban and phase out fur farming because this practice is inherently inhumane.

Austria, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Slovenia, Croatia, Czech Republic, Slovakia and the departing UK have already done so, while Ireland is in the process of passing a ban on fur production, and legislative proposals have recently been introduced in Bulgaria, Lithuania and Estonia.

Even in Denmark – the bastion of the European fur industry – fox farming has been banned and is being phased out on animal welfare grounds, although regrettably mink farming continues there.

While Germany has not enacted a fur farming ban, it has introduced stringent welfare conditions that have rendered the industry economically unviable, and all remaining fur farms in the country have closed down. Just beyond the EU borders, Norway, Serbia, the Republic of Macedonia and Bosnia and Herzegovina have also banned fur production.

Why HSI believes that fur farming should be banned

The main species of animals – mink and foxes – reared in fur factory farms are still essentially wild animals still not selected for tameness or adaptability to captive environments.

These animals spend short and miserable lives in small wire cages, only to be gassed or electrocuted to death when their pelts are at their prime. We believe that it is unethical to keep animals and kill animals in this way for frivolous fashion purposes. There should be no place for fur farming in an EU that cares about animals.

Animal welfare issues

The inherently poor quality of animal welfare on fur farms is a key reason why fur production should be banned.

Mink and fox are carnivores, predators and highly inquisitive, active animals with complex social lives. Unlike most other types of farm animals, which tend to be flock or herd species, mink are solitary by nature. Mink and fox are both territorial and, in the wild, go to great lengths to defend their territories. These animals are unsuited to farming conditions and suffer great stress from intensive breeding and rearing.

Kept in small wire cages, animals on fur farms exhibit stereotyped behaviour (pacing along the cage wall, repetitive circling, head nodding, etc.) and self mutilation (e.g. sucking or biting tail fur or other parts of the pelts). There is also a high level of mortality on fur farms.

There is, however, no specific EU legislation providing detailed animal welfare requirements for keeping of animals for fur production. Fur factory farms are covered by Council Directive 98/58/EC, which lays down the general minimum requirements for the protection of all animals kept for farming purposes.

HSI contends that most of these minimum welfare standards are not being met on EU fur farms. Given the physiological and behavioural needs of mink and foxes, the basic housing systems to which they are confined fail to meet the legislative requirements since the animals are unable to express their natural behaviours.

Cage sizes are inadequate, there no provisions for key natural behaviours like a substrate for foxes to dig in or – for the naturally solitary and semi-aquatic mink – any swimming water available, and the animals have no meaningful opportunities to withdraw from the presence of their conspecifics.

The practice of intensively farming animals for their fur is inherently inhumane.

Other environmental and health reasons to ban fur farming

Contrary to industry claims, fur production is far from green. Intensive fur farms produce tonnes of manure, greenhouse emissions, nutrient flows, terrible odors and can attract armies of flies. Waste runoff is a major pollution problem that contaminates soil and waterways.

Fur farming is also a primary pathway for the introduction of invasive alien species, which are a major driver of biodiversity loss. The American mink has long been implicated in the displacement of native mammals such as the European mink and European polecat, the decline of some water vole populations and the drastically decreased breeding success of native ground-nesting birds and domestic fowl.

Significantly, as recent outbreaks of SARS-CoV-2 on mink farms in the Netherlands, Denmark and Spain during the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted, fur animals can serve as a potential reservoir for dangerous pathogens that can globally threaten human health and the economy. Raccoon dogs and foxes sold in wildlife markets in Asia have also been found to be susceptible to coronaviruses.

What is HSI calling for?

Humane Society International is fundamentally opposed to the exploitation of animals for fur production; it is an unnecessary product for which there are many humane, warm and beautiful alternatives. We are:

  • Working with the Fur Free Alliance coalition to end the international fur trade
  • Working with global fashion brands and retailers to announce fur-free policies
  • Advocating the adoption of fur production bans in Member States where this cruel industry persists
  • Calling for the inclusion of the American mink on the EU list of invasive alien species of Union concern

Use of wild animals in traveling circuses and keeping and breeding of dolphins and killer whales in captivity also terminated.

Humane Society International / United Kingdom

Mark Hicken, Alamy Stock photo

LONDON—French minister Barbara Pompili has announced the end of mink fur farming in France. The country’s last four remaining fur farms will have to close no later than 2025, although campaigners at Humane Society International predict that their closure may come sooner. The announcement comes a month after an undercover investigation by French animal campaigners, One Voice, revealed shocking evidence of animal suffering on mink fur farms. The announcement also included many other sweeping animal welfare reforms adopted by the French government, such as ending the use of wild animals in traveling circuses and keeping and breeding dolphins and killer whales in captivity in marine parks.

According to Fur Europe (in 2018), France produced 100,000 mink skins on five farms, but recent public pressure against cruel fur farming practices has been a major driving force behind the ban. Latest opinion polls show that 77% of French citizens favour a ban on raising and slaughtering animals for their fur. More than half a million people in France have signed the referendum for the animals, which includes a ban on fur farms.

Although the mink fur farm ban does not impact France’s Orylag rabbit fur industry, it is nonetheless a significant sign of progress towards ending the trade. Orylag fur comes from genetically manipulated rabbits who are bred in deprived, factory farm style caging.

Claire Bass, executive director of Humane Society International/UK, said: “We applaud the French government for taking a stand against the immense suffering endured by mink for fur fashion. The shocking scenes showing paralysed mink displaying signs of severe distress at France’s last remaining fur farms, were enough to make the world shudder. So it is commendable that Minister Pompili has listened to the public outcry that this kind of cruelty is unacceptable. This mink fur farm ban is a great first step for France, and with mink fur production at an all-time low in France we predict and hope that these farms may close sooner than the 2025 deadline.

In the meantime, we urge the French government to also end the equally inexcusable suffering of Orylag rabbits who are farmed for fur in terrible conditions, and we call on the UK government to advance a ban on fur sales as soon as is practicable after the EU transition. For as long as the UK remains open for business to sell fur from countries overseas such as France, we are complicit in this cruelty.”  

Across Europe, 13 countries have banned fur farming, Britain being the first to do so in 2003. One Voice has been urging the Ministry of Ecology since 2017 to publish a decree to shut down all mink operation in France. In support of their campaign, HSI/UK and other members of the Fur Free Alliance—an international coalition of more than fifty animal protection organisations—wrote a letter to the French Embassy asking for a ban.

Muriel Arnal, CEO of One Voice, said: “Finally, France has a mink fur farming ban. But alas it will not take effect for a long time compared to the mink fur farm ban just announced in the Netherlands. We will keep on fighting to close down these four farms before the deadline set by the ministry of Ecology.”

Fur facts:

  • An estimated 60 million mink are farmed for their fur in 24 countries around the world, with the top three production countries China (20.6million mink), Denmark (17.6million mink) and Poland (5 million mink) in 2018.
  • A 2020 YouGov opinion poll, commissioned by HSI/UK, reveals that 93% of the British population reject wearing real animal fur, and the majority (72%) support a ban on the sale of fur in the UK. The poll also demonstrates Brits’ scathing view of fur – the words that people most closely associate with a fashion brand selling fur are ‘unethical’, ‘outdated’, ‘cruel’ and ‘out of touch’.
  • Across Europe, mink fur farms have been affected by outbreaks of COVID-19. In the Netherlands, 56 mink fur farms so far have been infected with the coronavirus, and outbreaks have also been documented on fur farms in Spain and Denmark, as well as in the United States.
  • Fur farming has been banned across the UK since 2003, and has been prohibited and/or is in the process of being phased-out in Austria, Belgium, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Czech Republic, Croatia, Macedonia, the Netherlands, Norway, Luxembourg, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, and most recently the government in Ireland has committed to ending fur farming.
  • Bulgaria, Lithuania, Montenegro and Ukraine are also presently considering bans on fur farming and in Finland the majority party of the coalition government just announced its support for a ban on fur farms.
  • In the United States, California became the first US state to ban fur sales in 2019 following similar bans in cities including Los Angeles, San Francisco, Berkeley and West Hollywood. In 2020, legislators in Hawaii and Rhode Island introduced fur sales ban proposals, as have cities in Minnesota and Massachusetts.

Download video from the latest French fur farm investigation

ENDS

Media contact: Leozette Roode: lroode@hsi.org; +27 71 360 1104

Humane Society International / United Kingdom

After 10 years with the fur trade, Mike Moser realised he was ‘defending what is indefensible’ and regrets not leaving sooner

Humane Society International / United Kingdom

Finland fur farm
Kristo Muurimaa

LONDON—Mike Moser, who resigned as CEO of the British Fur Trade Association in 2018 after a decade of defending the fur industry, has come out in support of a UK ban on fur sales because he no longer believes fur can be produced humanely.  Moser is now publicly supporting the #FurFreeBritain campaign by animal charity Humane Society International/UK.

Moser also worked for the International Fur Federation from 2008 to 2015 during which time he visited fur farms on five continents.. He says it was coming home to his beloved Labrador Barney after visiting fur farms overseas that made him realise keeping foxes and raccoon dogs in wire cages barely bigger than they were was unacceptably cruel. His growing doubts solidified during TV and radio debates with HSI/UK’s executive director Claire Bass, during which he began to feel he was “defending the indefensible.”

Moser, who will address MPs and Ministers at a No Business In Fur virtual event for HSI/UK next week, says: “I spent ten years working for the fur trade, and in that time I visited fur farms across the globe so I’ve seen the reality of fur farming. Over time I realised that whatever soundbites we devised to reassure consumers, retailers and politicians, neither welfare regulations nor any industry certification scheme, would ever change the reality of these animals being stuck in tiny wire cages for their entire lives. I would come home to Barney my Labrador, who I loved dearly, and realise that he wasn’t that much different in size to some of the animals I saw languishing on fur farms, and the thought of him being treated like that was just unthinkable. I felt a complete hypocrite.

“On a number of occasions I was in media debates with Claire from Humane Society International, and my job was to counter her claims, but increasingly I found that I agreed more with their messages than I did my own. I no longer had the conviction that what I was doing was right  – defending what is indefensible. One of my main regrets is that I didn’t leave earlier. After I resigned, I met with HSI to express my respect for how they conducted their campaign, and in conversation realised I shared many of their views. I agree fully that the fur trade is out of time.”

In the ten years that Mike Moser worked for the fur trade, he witnessed caging of mink, foxes and raccoon dogs in countries as diverse as Denmark and Finland, China, Russia, and Latvia. He says that regardless of the country of origin and any associated welfare regulations, the basic cage-based model of fur farming is systemically cruel.

Mr Moser says: “It is universally accepted that the ability to exhibit natural behaviour is a fundamental tenet of good animal welfare. It is disingenuous of the fur trade to claim that mink and foxes bred over generations are now domesticated. It is still the instinct of a fox to hunt, to play and to dig and of a mink to swim and hunt. But even IF that were true, our dogs and cats are domesticated but we wouldn’t dream of keeping them in those conditions, it’s just not right.”

Moser is now a part-time consultant for Humane Society International/UK, using his knowledge and experience to support the charity’s #FurFreeBritain campaign for a UK fur sales ban. In 2000, the UK announced a ban on fur farming in Britain but didn’t prevent the import and sale of fur from animals farmed overseas. Since the ban came into effect in 2003, almost £800m of fur has been imported into the UK from fur farms in France, Italy, Poland, China and other countries. In 2018 almost £75m of animal fur was imported into the UK, based on pelt auction prices HSI UK estimates that this equates to some 2-3 million animals.

Mike Moser says: “The fur trade is anachronistic. It still fails to recognise that social attitudes towards animals have changed dramatically, that we understand much more clearly sentiency and what constitutes good welfare. The Zeitgeist today is that caging and killing animals for an unnecessary fashion product, that has only vanity value, is unacceptable. The UK banned fur farming two decades ago but for as long as we import and sell the fur from overseas, the UK is still supporting fur farming and trapping by proxy. That’s morally and politically ambiguous, and that’s why I support a UK fur sales ban.”

A new YouGov opinion poll, commissioned by animal charity Humane Society International/UK, reveals that 93% of the British population never worn fur, or no longer wear it, and the majority (72%) support a ban on the sale of fur in the UK.

Claire Bass, executive director of Humane Society International/UK, said: “British people and politicians take pride in being a nation of animal lovers, and so it doesn’t surprise me that it was Mike’s love for his dog Barney that was at the heart of his epiphany that caging and killing animals for their fur is wrong. If the idea of locking a pet dog in a cage for life and then electrocuting and skinning that animal for fur is unthinkable, then it’s not a big leap to feel similar empathy for animals like foxes who endure this cruelty on fur farms. I fully respect Mike’s change of heart, and he now has an important and powerful message for the UK government — if someone like him with a decade’s experience inside the fur industry says it’s right to ban fur sales, then it’s time to take action and end the suffering.”

An Early Day Motion 267 urging the government to introduce legislation banning the import and sale of real fur products has so far been signed by 126 MPs, including Tracey Crouch, Maria Eagle, Dr Lisa Cameron and Tim Farron.

Fur facts:

  • More than 100 million animals are killed for their fur every year worldwide including mink, fox, raccoon dog, chinchilla and coyote – that’s equal to three animals dying every second, just for their fur. Rabbits are also killed for their fur, likely to be in the hundreds of millions.
  • Fur comes with a hefty environmental price tag. Whilst all materials have some eco-footprint, when compared to other textiles, fur takes a significant toll in terms of the C02 emissions associated with keeping and feeding tens of thousands of carnivorous animals on a farm, the manure runoff into lakes and rivers, and the chemicals such as chromium and formaldehyde used to preserve the fur and skin to stop it from rotting.
  • An increasing number of fashion designers and retailers are dropping fur cruelty. In the last few years alone Prada, Gucci, Armani, Versace, Michael Kors, Jimmy Choo, DKNY, Burberry, Chanel and other high-profile brands have announced fur-free policies. In addition, online fashion retail platforms Net-A-Porter and Farfetch have introduced no-fur policies.

Sign the #FurFreeBritain petition

See Mike Moser’s interview

Download fur farm photos and video

ENDS

Media contact: Leozette Roode, HSI/UK Media and Campaigns Manager, email: Lroode@hsi.org telephone: 00 27 713601104

Notes to the editor:

All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from YouGov Plc. Total sample size was 1,682 adults. Fieldwork was undertaken between 4th – 5th March 2020. The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all GB adults (aged 18+).

Early closure will spare 13.5 million mink from being born to suffer wasted lives

Humane Society International / Europe

Mark Hicken, Alamy Stock photo

AMSTERDAM—The Dutch government has agreed that all mink fur farms must permanently close by March 2021, according to Dutch national news service, NOS. Mink fur farming was banned in the Netherlands in 2013 with a deadline for complete phase out by 2024, so this decision sees that closure fast-tracked to prevent long term COVID-19 virus reservoirs forming on affected farms.

Since April, an estimated 2 million mink have already been preventatively culled following the outbreak of coronavirus on 41 fur farms. Leading animal charity Humane Society International applauds the Dutch cabinet for ordering the early closure of fur farms in the Netherlands and closing this chapter on this animal abuse industry.

Today’s announcement will not require mink on the 120 remaining fur farms to be preventatively culled unless new COVID-19 outbreaks occur. Mink on unaffected farms will be slaughtered for their pelts in November this year, but breeders are not permitted to restock, meaning fur farms will close forever. By March 2021, all remaining mink operations will be bought out by the government.

Speaking from Amsterdam, Dr Joanna Swabe, senior director of public affairs for Humane Society International/Europe, said: “This signals the end of suffering for millions of animals confined to small wire cages on fur farms in the Netherlands. We commend the government on its decision to end this incredibly cruel and completely unnecessary industry and protect citizens. With 41 fur farms and an estimated 2 million mink now having been infected, the risk of keeping these virus reservoirs operating, is far too great. Over the past weeks, the Dutch government has failed to act as infection numbers rose. Without this early termination of fur farming, up to 13.5 million more animals would be forced to suffer short and miserable lives solely to supply the fickle fashion industry. It is a sick industry both literally and figuratively. There has never been a more compelling time for the Netherlands to shut down this industry for good”.

Last month, the Dutch Government announced its plans to implement a one-stop voluntary closing scheme that allows mink companies to voluntarily end their business operations in the short term. It requested advice from the Outbreak Management Team on Zoonosis (OMT-Z) and promised to announce its decision on future steps in August 2020. Ministers Hugo de Jonge of Health, Welfare and Sport, and Carola Schouten of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality, together with the fur farming sector and experts, tightened the hygiene protocol since 10 July in hopes of putting the spread to bed. However, following the news of further infections, the OMT-Z was asked to elaborate on the risk assessment and measures in the light of public health. Over the course of the next months, until the termination is fully implemented, Minister Schouten will tighten up COVID-19 measures on existing operations. She will also conduct an investigation into compliance with the COVID-19 rules by the sector.

The Netherlands farmed around 4.5 million mink in 2018. Since April, two fur farm workers are believed “extremely likely” to have contracted the virus from mink.

Mink fur farms and COVID-19 timeline

  • 26 April: SARS-CoV-2 identified on two mink farms in Netherlands.
  • 9 May: SARS-CoV-2 found on two more mink farms in Noord Brabant as well as in dust particles in the barns in which they are kept in.
  • 15 May: SARS-CoV-2 diagnosed in three cats living at a mink farm where the presence of the virus was detected.
  • 19 May: First farm worker reported to have contracted COVID-19; Minister confirms compulsory screening is extended to all mink farms in the Netherlands.
  • 20 May: Dutch Agriculture Minister Carola Schouten tells MPs it is likely mink infected with SARS-CoV-2 passed the virus to a worker.
  • 22 May 2020: Seven of 14 employees of a mink farm in La Puebla de Valverde (Spain) test positive for SARS-CoV-2.
  • 25 May: A second farm worker contracts COVID-19, Minister confirms transmission from mink to humans now “extremely likely.”
  • 28 May: Ministers’ confirm mandatory screening of all Dutch mink farms is underway.
  • 1 June: SARS-Cov-2 found on another three mink fur farms in the Netherlands, with a fourth case confirmed on 3 June bringing the total to nine farms.
  • 3 June: Dutch Ministers publish final report confirming animals on the infected farms will be culled, a measure taken “in the interests of both public and animal health”.
  • 23 June: Dutch Parliament votes in favour of shutting down all mink fur farms in the Netherlands, with early closure of farms with compensation to be paid to fur farmers to end the practice earlier than the phase out due date of 31st December 2023.
  • 1 July: The Dutch Government says it will consider a one-stop voluntary closing scheme and breeding ban for mink fur farms in the Netherlands. It aims to make a decision in August 2020 and must notify Parliament before the new mating season starts in February 2021.
  • 6 July: 20th mink fur farm in the Netherlands confirmed with COVID-19
  • 9 July: Two more mink farms in the Netherlands confirmed with COVID-19. Another 75,000 mink culled.
  • 9 July: Brabant-Zuidoost regional safety board calls on Minister Schouten to implement preventative clearing.
  • 13 July: The 23rd mink fur farm in the Netherlands was confirmed as being infected with COVID-19.
  • 15 July: Another Dutch mink fur farm infected with COVID-19. This brings the total of infected farms to 24. The Dutch mink death toll reaches 1 million mink, according to national media sources.
  • 16 July: First farm in Spain identified with corona-infected mink. The Aragonese Minister of Agriculture, Joaquín Olona, during the press conference in which he reported the extermination of the farm with 92,700 minks Health orders to exterminate a farm of 92,700 minks invaded by the Covid in Teruel. The authorities recognize that there are indications that point to a cross contagion between humans and animals on that farm.
  • 10 August 2020: 28th and 29th farm confirmed by Ministers, in Elsendorp (12,000 dams) and in Vredepeel (6,000 dams) respectively.
  • 13 August 2020: 30th farm confirmed by Ministers, in Ven-Zelderheide (municipality of Gennep), with approximately 1,800 mother animals.
  • 14 August 2020: 31st farm confirmed by Ministers, in Altforst (municipality of West Maas en Waal), with approximately 12,000 mother animals.
  • 14 August 2020: Forth farm identified in Denmark. All four farms identified are located in North Jutland. No details of the number of mink on the farm.  The mink will not be killed.
  • 16 August 2020: Infections on Netherlands farms 32 and 33 confirmed by Ministers, in De Mortel and in Ottersum.
  • 17 August 2020: USDA Confirms first confirmed cases of SARS-CoV-2 in mink at two farms in Utah, United States.
  • 18 August 2020: Three new Dutch farms confirmed, taking the total number of farms to 36.
  • 24 August 2020: Three new farm infected with Covid-19. An infection with SARS-CoV-2 has been established on a farm in De Rips, as well as in Vlierden and in Ven-Zelderheide. A total of 40 mink farms in the Netherlands have now been declared infected.
  • 27 August 2020: 41st farm infected with Covid-19.
  • 27 August 2020: Dutch government announce agreement to fast track the permanent closure of all mink fur farms in the Netherlands by March 2021.

Media contact:

To request an interview with HSI spokespeople (Dutch and English speakers) please contact Leozette Roode, HSI/UK: LRoode@hsi.org

Notes

Latest available figures show approximately 35 million mink were farmed in 2018 in Europe, including Denmark (17.6m), Poland (5m), Netherlands (4.5m), Finland (1.85m), Greece (1.2m) and Lithuania (1.2m).  Figures for the same period show that mink were farmed for their fur in China (20.7m), the United States (3.1m) and Canada (1.7m), bringing the total to approximately 60million mink globally on fur farms.

Humane Society International urges Dutch government to fast track early closure of this cruel industry

Humane Society International / Europe

Jo-Anne McArthur/We Animals A male mink at a fur farm.

AMSTERDAM—COVID-19 infections on Dutch mink fur farms have now led to an estimated 1 million mink being culled by government order. Today, yet another mink fur farm in the Netherlands with 4,500 breeding mink was confirmed as being infected with the novel virus, bringing the total number of infected farms up to 24. Leading animal charity Humane Society International is calling on the Dutch government to take urgent action and fast track the early closure of fur farms in the Netherlands as a potential reservoir for SARS-CoV-2 and other novel infectious zoonotic diseases. Mink fur farming was banned in the Netherlands in 2013 with a deadline for complete phase out by 2024.

Speaking from Amsterdam, Dr Joanna Swabe, senior director of public affairs for Humane Society International/Europe, said: “The death toll from the Dutch mink fur farm culls has now reached 1 million mink. The risk from failing to eliminate this virus reservoir is clear and yet still the Dutch government is not acting decisively by fast-tracking the early closure of this cruel and dangerous industry. The Dutch Parliament has already adopted a motion calling for the mink industry to shut down before the existing 2024 deadline. In addition to fur factory farming being inherently cruel, the potential for zoonotic disease spread, and for mink fur farms in particular to act as reservoirs for coronaviruses, incubating pathogens transmissible to humans, is an unavoidably compelling reason for the world to call time on fur farming.”   

Earlier this month the Dutch Government said it will consider a one-stop voluntary closing scheme and breeding ban for mink fur farms in the Netherlands, in response to motions adopted by the Parliament. It promised to announce its decision in August 2020 and notify Parliament before the new mating season begins. The Zoonoses Outbreak Management Team is expected to release its preliminary report on Thursday 16 July to advise the government on its future course of action. How the virus has been able to spread so rapidly among the mink population and between farms is one of the key questions that will hopefully be answered.

The Netherlands farmed around 4.5 million mink in 2018, on 128 fur farms. Since April, two fur farm workers are believed “extremely likely” to have contracted the virus from mink. This marked the start of the culling of 1 million mink. The early closure scheme considered by government will apply to all fur farms, including farms that have culled mink due to COVID -19. A ban on the transportation of mink to prevent the spread of COVID-19 is currently in place, which should mean that no new mink can be brought to an already-culled mink farm. However, the Ministerial response to the Regional Safety Authority states that the movement of young mink to other locations is permitted to prevent overcrowding.

Mink fur farms and COVID-19 timeline

  • 26 April: SARS-CoV-2 identified on two mink farms in Netherlands.
  • 9 May: SARS-CoV-2 found on two more mink farms in Noord Brabant as well as in dust particles in the barns in which they are kept in.
  • 15 May: SARS-CoV-2 diagnosed in three cats living at a mink farm where the presence of the virus was detected.
  • 19 May: First farm worker reported to have contracted COVID-19; Minister confirms compulsory screening is extended to all mink farms in the Netherlands.
  • 20 May: Dutch Agriculture Minister Carola Schouten tells MPs it is likely mink infected with SARS-CoV-2 passed the virus to a worker.
  • 22 May 2020: Seven of 14 employees of a mink farm in La Puebla de Valverde (Spain) test positive for SARS-CoV-2.
  • 25 May: A second farm worker contracts COVID-19, Minister confirms transmission from mink to humans now “extremely likely.”
  • 28 May: Ministers’ confirm mandatory screening of all Dutch mink farms is underway.
  • 1 June: SARS-Cov-2 found on another three mink fur farms in the Netherlands, with a fourth case confirmed on 3 June bringing the total to nine farms.
  • 3 June: Dutch Ministers publish final report confirming animals on the infected farms will be culled, a measure taken “in the interests of both public and animal health”.
  • 23 June: Dutch Parliament votes in favour of shutting down all mink fur farms in the Netherlands, with early closure of farms with compensation to be paid to fur farmers to end the practice earlier than the phase out due date of 31st December 2023.
  • 1 July: The Dutch Government says it will consider a one-stop voluntary closing scheme and breeding ban for mink fur farms in the Netherlands. It aims to make a decision in August 2020 and must notify Parliament before the new mating season starts in February 2021.
  • 6 July: 20th mink fur farm in the Netherlands confirmed with COVID-19
  • 9 July: Two more mink farms in the Netherlands confirmed with COVID-19. Another 75,000 mink culled.
  • 9 July: Brabant-Zuidoost regional safety board calls on Minister Schouten to implement preventative clearing.
  • 13 July: The 23rd mink fur farm in the Netherlands was confirmed as being infected with COVID-19.
  • 15 July: Another Dutch mink fur farm infected with COVID-19. This brings the total of infected farms to 24. The Dutch mink death toll reaches 1 million mink, according to national media sources.

ENDS

Media contact:

To request an interview with HSI spokespeople (Dutch and English speakers) please contact Leozette Roode, HSI/UK: LRoode@hsi.org

Notes

Latest available figures show approximately 35 million mink were farmed in 2018 in Europe, including Denmark (17.6m), Poland (5m), Netherlands (4.5m), Finland (1.85m), Greece (1.2m) and Lithuania (1.2m).  Figures for the same period show that mink were farmed for their fur in China (20.7m), the United States (3.1m) and Canada (1.7m), bringing the total to approximately 60million mink globally on fur farms.

Dame Judi Dench, Ricky Gervais, Leona Lewis support #FurFreeBritain campaign for UK fur sales ban

Humane Society International / United Kingdom

RT-Images/iStock.com Red fox lying in leaves

LONDON—British citizens overwhelmingly agree that the time has come for Britain to be fur-free. A new YouGov opinion poll, commissioned by animal charity Humane Society International/UK, reveals that 93% of the British population reject wearing real animal fur, and the majority (72%) support a complete ban on the sale of fur in the UK. The poll also demonstrates Brits’ scathing view of fur – the words that people most closely associate with a fashion brand selling fur are ‘unethical’, ‘outdated’, ‘cruel’ and ‘out of touch’.

HSI/UK released the poll as part of its #FurFreeBritain campaign for a UK fur sales ban, just one day after HSI’s latest investigation exposed horrific suffering of foxes and raccoon dogs on fur farms in Asia.

HSI/UK’s call for a fur sales ban addresses a double-standard left over from the year 2000’s victory for animals, when the UK announced a ban on fur farming in Britain. However, the ban didn’t prevent the import and sale of fur from animals farmed overseas, and since the ban came into effect in 2003, almost £800m of fur has been imported into the UK from fur farms in France, Italy, Poland, China and other countries. In 2018 almost £75m of animal fur was imported into the UK.

Claire Bass, executive director of Humane Society International/UK, said: “This new poll shows without a doubt that most Brits reject fur, and they want that reflected in British law with a UK fur sales ban. Like us, they believe that if fur is too cruel to farm in the UK, it is too cruel to sell here too. The vast majority of designers and retailers have already turned their backs on outdated fur, so now it’s time for the UK governments to take action. For as long as fur is sold in our shops, Britain is complicit in the suffering and death of millions of fur bearing animals for the fashion industry. British consumers have made their views clear – fur is cruel, outdated and it should be banned.”

YouGov/HSI poll results:

The most significant statistics include:

  • 72% support a ban on the import and sale of animal fur in the UK (rising to 81% of Scottish voters);
  • The public most closely associate negative words, including “unethical”, “cruel”, “outdated” and “out of touch” with a fashion brand that sells real animals fur;
  • The vast majority of Brits reject wearing real fur: 83% have never worn real fur and another 10% have worn fur in the past but no longer do so. Only 3% currently wear real animal fur.

Bass continued “Any fashion brands or designers currently on the fence about whether or not to sell animal fur should take a close look at these poll results from a business perspective. When given free choice of a range of positive and negative words to describe a fashion brand that sells fur, 79% of people chose negative associations – unethical, cruel, outdated and out of touch. The fur trade’s PR spin has failed to shake solid public perceptions that this is an industry that has no place in modern fashion.”

The #FurFreeBritain campaign has received support from a cross party group of MPs, and Early Day Motion 267, urging the government to introduce legislation banning the import and sale of real fur products, has so far been signed by 106 MPs, including Tracey Crouch, Maria Eagle, Dr Lisa Cameron and Tim Farron.

Celebrities have also expressed their shock at the animal suffering for the fur trade, and pledged their support for HSI’s #FurFreeBritain campaign.

Dame Judi Dench said: “I am proud that the UK was the first country in the world to ban fur farming, and I hope we will be the first country in the world to ban fur sales. Fur farming is cruel and unnecessary.”

Leona Lewis said: “I love all animals, and believe they should be treated with kindness and respect. So as an animal lover I would never wear fur.  That’s why I’m a proud supporter of HSI’s #FurFreeBritain campaign for a UK fur sales ban.”

Ricky Gervais said: “I will never understand why anyone would want to wear fur – a beautiful fox who has been beaten or electrocuted, a mink who has been gassed to death, or a coyote who has suffered in a leg hold trap and then been shot in the head. How can anyone want to wear that on their hat or their coat, and how can Britain still sell fur when we banned fur farming for being cruel? It’s utter hypocrisy and that’s why I wholeheartedly support HSI’s #FurFreeBritain campaign.”

HSI/UK’s most recent investigation of fur farms in Asia shows foxes and raccoon dogs living miserable lives in appalling conditions, and enduring painful deaths. Foxes were filmed being repeatedly bludgeoned over the head, resulting in catastrophic injury but not instant death in many cases, and other animals were kicked and cut with knives, or even skinned alive.

Fur facts:

  • More than 100 million animals are killed for their fur every year worldwide including mink, fox, raccoon dog, chinchilla and coyote – that’s equal to three animals dying every second, just for their fur.
  • Rabbits are also killed for their fur, likely to be in the hundreds of millions.
  • Fur comes with a hefty environmental price tag. Whilst all materials have some eco-footprint, when compared to other textiles, fur takes a significant toll in terms of the C02 emissions associated with keeping and feeding tens of thousands of carnivorous animals on a farm, the manure runoff into lakes and rivers, and the cocktail of toxic and carcinogenic chemicals such as chromium and formaldehyde used to preserve the fur and skin to stop it from rotting.
  • An increasing number of fashion designers and retailers are dropping fur cruelty. In the last few years alone Prada, Gucci, Armani, Versace, Michael Kors, Jimmy Choo, DKNY, Burberry, Chanel and other high-profile brands have announced fur-free policies. In addition, online fashion retail platforms Net-A-Porter and Farfetch have introduced no-fur policies.
 

Which of the following words would you most closely associate with a fashion brand that sells real animal fur? (percentage)
Unethical 27
Cruel 24
Outdated 15
Out of touch 13
Luxury 6
Modern 1
Sustainable 0
On trend 0
None of the above 4
Don’t know 10

Download fur farm photos and video here

ENDS

Media contact: Leozette Roode, HSI/UK Media and Campaigns Manager, Lroode@hsi.org, + 27 71 360 1104

Notes to the editor:

All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from YouGov Plc. Total sample size was 1,682 adults. Fieldwork was undertaken between 4th – 5th March 2020. The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all GB adults (aged 18+).

“Like a scene from hell,” says wildlife campaigner Chris Packham

Humane Society International / United Kingdom

Raccoon dog on a fur farm in a country in Asia that supplies fur to the U.K. and the U.S.

LONDON—Disturbing video footage released by Humane Society International/UK reveals shocking suffering of thousands of foxes and raccoon dogs enduring miserable lives and painful, protracted deaths on fur farms in Asia. Foxes were filmed being repeatedly bludgeoned over the head, resulting in catastrophic injury but not instant death; some animals were cut with knives, or even entirely skinned, while clearly still alive. The footage was described by wildlife presenter and campaigner Chris Packham as “like a scene from hell”.

Download photos and video.

Investigators for Humane Society International filmed at eleven randomly selected fur farms in one of the top countries in Asia exporting fur to the United Kingdom. The charity has chosen not to reveal the country in order to protect the identity of the investigators, but says that despite the UK having banned fur farming nearly two decades ago, Britain still allows imports of tens of millions of pounds of fur every year from farms overseas in countries such as Finland, Italy, Poland, and in Asia from mainland China, Hong Kong, India and Thailand. In 2018 fur imports to the UK totalled £70.4 million, including over £5.3 million direct from China alone. HSI estimates this equates to the import of fur pelts from an estimated 2.5-3 million animals into the UK each year.

Although most British retailers actively choose to be fur free, clothes, shoes and accessories using fur from these and other countries can still be found on sale on the high-street and online. HSI/UK says its latest investigation shows why the British government must end this double standard of allowing the sale of fur the UK deems too cruel to farm here.

Claire Bass, executive director of HSI/UK said: “Behind the PR spin of the fur trade, this is the hideous, heartless reality they don’t want you to see. Raccoon dogs driven mad with boredom in their pitifully small wire cages, foxes repeatedly smashed over the head with a metal bar in front of their terrified cage mates, animals skinned alive so that the fur trade can sell consumers the lie of luxury. I am sickened and heartbroken by what our investigators witnessed on these cruel fur farms, but not surprised.

Every designer putting fur on the catwalk, every retailer putting fur on its shop shelves, and every consumer putting fur in their wardrobe, is helping to pay for this shameful misery. It needs to stop, and the UK is now in a unique position to take action by banning fur sales. This – and every – investigation into the fur trade shows that fur is not glamorous, it’s grotesque, it’s cruelty not couture, and it’s time for the UK to stop trading in such horrors.

In taking control of our markets and laws post-Brexit the government will have the power – and the moral duty – to send a clear message that the UK will no longer tolerate the cruel fur trade. Cross party support for a UK ban on fur sales is already strong, and we now need a sign that the government will act.”

Catalogue of cruelty HSI’s investigation shows:

  • Wild species – fox and raccoon dog – kept in miserable factory farm style conditions
  • Cages so small that many animals can hardly move more than a few inches
  • Utterly barren wire cages, no enrichment whatsoever
  • No bedding, they spend their entire lives bearing their full weight on wire mesh
  • Piles of stinking faeces left to gather on the floor; filthy and empty water bowls
  • No veterinarian present during any of the visits; investigators told none come at all
  • Animals exhibiting repetitive stereotypical behaviour typical of mental decline
  • Foxes beaten repeatedly over the face and head with a metal bar, causing extreme pain and injury but not instant death
  • Animals beaten, killed and skinned in full view of others
  • Foxes cut and skinned while still alive and clearly moving.

TV wildlife presenter and campaigner Chris Packham viewed HSI’s video and said: “I am astonished at the depravity of the fur trade. This investigation is like a scene from hell and anyone who knowingly wears fur should not turn away from watching it. Aside from the unbelievable cruelty of their deaths, these foxes and raccoon dogs will have endured utterly miserable lives. In the wild they would roam and hunt for miles with all the sights and smells of their natural environment. Natural behaviours like digging for foxes are absolutely essential for their mental wellbeing, and yet on fur farms they are confined day in day out in barren battery cages. It is little wonder that that unrelenting deprivation can lead to the tell-tale signs of mental disturbance. There can be no place in British shops and wardrobes for fur, not when this is the price that animals pay, so I fully support HSI’s campaign to make the UK the first country in the world to ban this horrific and totally unnecessary industry.

Humane Society International/UK leads the #FurFreeBritain campaign for a UK fur sales ban. The UK government has said that it wants Britain to be ‘a world leader in animal welfare’; HSI believes an ideal way to demonstrate that is for the UK to become the first country in the world to ban fur sales.

Luke Pollard MP, Shadow Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, said: “The animal suffering revealed in HSI’s investigation is truly sickening. This outdated and unnecessary trade should have no place in the UK’s fashion industry. The last Labour government banned fur farming in the UK, and Labour has pledged its support for a #FurFreeBritain in order to send a message that we will not trade in such horrendous treatment of animals. We urge the government to signal their commitment to a UK fur sales ban, starting with a public consultation.”

HSI’s call for a UK fur sales ban is backed by a host of celebrities including Alesha Dixon, Paloma Faith, Sir Andy Murray OBE, Brian May CBE, Dr Jane Goodall DBE, and Joss Stone.

Fur facts:

  • More than 100 million animals are killed for their fur every year worldwide including mink, fox, raccoon dog, chinchilla and coyote – that’s equal to three animals dying every second, just for their fur. Additionally, rabbits are also killed for their fur, likely to be in the hundreds of millions.
  • On fur farms, animals spend their entire lives in tiny wire battery cages. Foxes are typically kept in cages that are just one metre squared, thousands of times smaller than their territories would be in the wild. This would be like a person being forced to live their entire life in a lift.
  • Foxes and raccoon dogs are known to be able to become infected with SARS-CoV-related viruses, with the potential to act as intermediate hosts to pass viruses to humans. Raccoon dogs and foxes in wildlife markets in China were both found to have been infected with SARS-CoV. HSI is calling on governments to completely ban consumption and trade in wild animals, in order to reduce the risk of another pandemic. China’s draft proposal to ban wildlife consumption and trade presently allows for the continued farming and slaughter of fur-bearing species – mink, raccoon dogs and foxes – defining them as ‘special livestock’. This is unacceptable.
  • Fur comes with a hefty environmental price tag. Whilst all materials have some eco-footprint, when compared to other textiles, fur takes a significant toll in terms of the C02 emissions associated with keeping and feeding tens of thousands of carnivorous animals on a farm, the manure runoff into lakes and rivers, and the cocktail of toxic and carcinogenic chemicals such as chromium and formaldehyde used to preserve the fur and skin to stop it from rotting.
  • Fur farming has been banned across the UK since 2003.An increasing number of fashion designers and retailers are dropping fur cruelty.
  • In the last few years alone Prada, Gucci, Armani, Versace, Michael Kors, Jimmy Choo, DKNY, Burberry, Chanel and other high-profile brands have announced fur-free policies. In addition, online fashion retail platforms Net-A-Porter and Farfetch have introduced no-fur policies.
  • In 2019, California became the first US state to ban fur sales following similar bans in cities including Los Angeles, San Francisco, Berkeley and West Hollywood. In 2020, Hawaii and Rhode Island have introduced fur sales bans, as well as cities Minneapolis, Minnesota and Wellesley, Massachusetts.

Take action: Sign HSI’s petition for a UK fur sales ban at hsi.org/furfreebritain

ENDS

Media contact: Wendy Higgins, whiggins@hsi.org

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