Labour Minister: Ban Fur Farming
18-02-2010 YLE, Finland
Minister of Labour Anni Sinnemäki, who is also chair of the Green League, wants to ban fur farming in Finland. Her comments came after YLE broadcast videos late Wednesday showing shocking conditions at some Finnish fur farms.
Earlier, in an article on an animal rights website, Sinnemäki wrote that raising fur animals in cages is not ethically sustainable. She said that phasing out fur farming should be included in the policy programme of the next government. Under Sinnemäki’s vision, an interim period would be set for the total ban on fur farms. During that period, efforts would be made to improve the condition of the animals. She also called for more supervision and inspections at farm where animal welfare problems have been identified.
On Thursday Left Alliance chair Paavo Arhinmäki backed her call for a phase-out of fur farming.
On Wednesday evening YLE’s A-Studio current affairs programme showed material, which had been shot at about 30 fur farms last year, mostly in Ostrobothnia. Many of the animals depicted had serious injuries of various types that had been neglected and become infected. One's tail and part of its hind quarters appeared to have been chopped off.
Some of this disturbing footage can be seen at the A-Studio website.
The Finnish Fur Breeders’ Association (STKL) strongly condemned the neglect depicted in the videos and promised to investigate the cases. It is calling for exact information about when and where the images were filmed so that breeders and officials can immediately take steps at the facilities in question.
The industry says that it employs about 22,000 people in Finland.
(Bron: http://www.yle.fi/)
(Bron foto: YLE)
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