6 March 2025 – Five years ago the world was brought to its knees by a disease that jumped from animals to humans. Now leading global public health experts including members from the One Health High-Level Expert Panel (OHHLEP) join global animal welfare organisation FOUR PAWS UK to speak out about the public health risks associated with cruel and unnecessary fur farming and the danger of disease spillovers. 

While nations continue to negotiate the Pandemic Agreement at the World Health Organisation and British Parliamentarians prepare to debate the Fur (Import and Sale) Bill, MPs gathered in Parliament today to hear powerful statements from global public health experts.

Dr Natalia Cediel Becerra (Associate Professor and Researcher at Universidad de La Salle, Colombia and OHHLEP member), Ann Linder (Associate Director of Policy and Research at Harvard Law School - Animal Law and Policy Program), Dr Hope Ferdowsian (Professor at the University of New Mexico School of Medicine) and Dr Jakob Zinsstag (University of Basel, who is also a OHHLEP Member) spoke out to sound the alarm on the ticking time bomb that is the fur trade. 

Dr Jakob Zinsstag, University of Basel, who is also a One Health High-Level Expert Panel (OHHLEP) Member said:

“There is clear evidence that fur farming poses a significant risk of zoonotic disease emergence and as part of efforts to prevent the next pandemic, we must move away from high-risk practices such as intensive fur farming and activities which support them. COVID-19 was identified on almost 500 fur farms during the pandemic and governments in the Netherlands, Italy and Denmark acted as a result to end the practice of fur farming. Governments including the UK have a responsibility to improve animal health and welfare to prevent the next pandemic and I am pleased to see British Parliamentarians coming together to recognise the connection between our treatment of animals and public health. By supporting the One Health approach we can have global synergy to tackle the nexus between human, animal and environmental health.” 

The UK was celebrated two decades ago when it banned fur farming. Now a Bill is being debated by Parliament which could ensure that the UK is once again a world leader by supporting a ban on the import and sale of fur. 

Of the significance of today’s statements, Sonul Badiani-Hamment, FOUR PAWS UK Country Director said:

“Five years ago, the world was on the brink of the COVID-19 pandemic. The deep connection between animal and human health had previously been neglected, but 2020 made it impossible to ignore and highlighted the urgent need for us to review how humans treat animals. When animals suffer, we suffer. Now, global public health experts are uniting in condemning fur farming and in outlining its deadly risk to public health. We hope that Parliamentarians from across the political spectrum will hear this evidence and join the movement for a Fur Free Britain. Not only is fur an afront to public morality, but it is also a grave risk to public health, and we must end all involvement with the trade by banning the import and sale of fur in this country.” 

Speaking at the event, sponsor of the Fur (Import and Sale) Bill Ruth Jones MP for Newport West and Islwyn said:

"The fur trade is cruel and unnecessary, and the British public are rightly opposed to it. Today's statements from public health experts remind us animal welfare is inextricably linked to human health. The Covid-19 pandemic took a devastating and lasting toll on our country and we should do all we can to prevent the spread and mutation of disease. I hope my fellow MPs will heed these warnings and back my Bill to end the UK's involvement in a trade that is not only outdated but dangerous." 

Claire Bass, Senior Director of Campaigns and Public Affairs for Humane World for Animals UK said:

“Every day that the fur trade keeps animals locked up in barren cages as fashion victims increases the risk that stressed and diseased animals will become the source of a deadly pandemic. Virologists’ warnings couldn’t be more clear, so it’s incredibly worrying that Governments globally are not in a much greater hurry to end this deadly trade. We’re grateful to MPs amplifying calls for the UK Government to back the Bill for a Fur Free Britain and end the UK’s complicity in this cruel, dangerous and unnecessary trade.”

Statements can be seen here from experts who have united to raise the alarm that fur farming poses. The Fur (Import and Sale) Bill has widespread cross-party backing of MPs and Peers and is due for its Second Reading in the House of Commons on June 13.