Good News for Minks: Ireland to Ban Fur Farming
PETA staff are flinging our faux-fur hats into the air, happy that Ireland is set to become the latest country to ban fur farming!
In June, Ireland’s cabinet agreed to phase out fur farming in the Republic, meaning that the country will shortly be bringing forward a bill banning this cruel industry. The country’s minister for agriculture, Michael Creed, explained the decision:
There has been considerable international and societal debate about fur farming. … [I]t is clear that there has been a shift in societal expectations in relation to the sector and recent veterinary evidence suggests that the farming of mink is counter to good animal welfare.
PETA and other animal protection groups have long campaigned against this abusive industry, which confines animals who long for their freedom to wire cages for their entire miserable lives before filling their lungs with poison gas – all for frivolous fashion.
Over 66,000 PETA supporters sent a letter to Mr Creed urging him to take action and spare the lives of the approximately 200,000 minks who are exploited each year in the Irish fur trade. In addition, hundreds of Irish residents wrote to their local TDs asking them to support a proposed bill to ban fur farming.
Over the years, we’ve also held bold demonstrations throughout Ireland, including right outside the Dáil and in Dublin city centre. Fur coats donated to PETA were even reworked into street art to remind people of the individual animals behind every fur coat or piece of fur trim.
Well-loved celebrities also got involved with the campaign. Cillian Murphy, Imelda May, Anjelica Huston, Pamela Anderson, and Morrissey all fired off letters to the Irish government. Irish model and actor Tiffany Stanley bared all to highlight the issue, as did model Suzanne McCabe. Singer Brian McFadden also starred in a poster campaign back in 2015 that drew much-needed media attention to the issue.
The move reflects the will of the majority of Irish citizens, who want to see an end to fur farming, and it means the country will no longer lag behind nations that have already banned or are phasing out fur farming, including the UK, Austria, Croatia, and Serbia.
PETA commends Mr Creed for putting forth the proposal, and we’re now calling on the government to phase out the country’s three remaining fur farms without delay.
What You Can Do
This news demonstrates that we can achieve great victories for animals when we stand together and speak up. Please urge the Swedish government to follow Ireland’s example and shut down its mink fur farms. The country has already banned fox farming, so there’s no excuse for continuing to allow minks to suffer.
And if you see someone wearing fur or fur trim, here’s what you can do:
