WITH SUPPORT FOR FUR FREE EUROPE GROWING, WILL THE UK FOLLOW SUIT?
Over 400,000 EU citizens have called for an end to fur farming and whilst the UK Government suggested potential work against the sale and import of fur, we are still waiting for action.
Recently, the European Parliament Intergroup on the Welfare and Conservation of Animals held a dedicated meeting on “The case for a Fur Free Europe” in Strasbourg. During this session a new report was also launched which addressed the myriad of reasons to exclude fur from the European market.
With so many members of the European Parliament, from various political parties, sending a strong message of support for ending fur farming, sales and imports across the EU, when will the UK Government do the same?
This development is timely for the UK Government, as last month FOUR PAWS UK joined HSI UK and PETA to hand-in Chris Packham’s petition to end the import and sale of fur and foie gras in the UK. And with almost 300,000 signatures from the British public backing this campaign, it is clear, there is no place for fur in modern Britain.
Despite the UK Fur Farming Prohibition Act being passed in 2003, the sale and import of fur is still legal, and the UK has imported more than 800 million tonnes of fur.
And without appropriate legislation prohibiting the import and sale of fur into the UK, the country remains complicit in the cruelty and exploitation that comes with these bought and imported products.
In addition to the glaring animal welfare issues with the trade, fur farms are also a reservoir for viruses.
SARS-CoV-2 which causes COVID-19 has spread through over 450 fur farms to date. Conditions in fur farms lead to animals’ immune systems being compromised and they are therefore more susceptible to disease. Additionally, the breeding ground for zoonotic diseases undermines the effectiveness of vaccines against the likes of COVID-19.
But, this recent stride from the European Parliament marks a watershed moment in the potential for world-leading change for animal welfare. However, it once again highlights how efforts to enact any measures to end the import and sale of fur into the UK have stagnated and was notably omitted from the 2022 Queen’s Speech.
For a healthier, safer future for our one world, we ask the Prime Minister, #DontBetrayAnimals
