Fur industry : Synonym for animal cruelty
1 Introduction
“ I think fur look much better on the animal than on the models” Stella Mc Cartney
1.1 Fur farming
Animals have been kept in captivity for the sake of their fur since the end of the 19-century. In Norway however, this tradition is rather young, and the fur farming was not established until in 1920-30. [1]
31 million animals are raised and killed on fur farms each year. Mink account for 26 million, fox 4.1 million. Chinchillas, racoon dogs (not to be confused with the North American racoon), fitch and sable make up for most of the other ranch-raised furbearers. Mink and fox are genetically wild animals that are not adapted to a life in captivity. Whereas a wild mink would range a territory that is approximately 3 square kilometres in size, a ranch-raised mink is confined to a cage that is 0,5 m2. The intensive confinement leads to self-mutilation, cannibalism, and a high level stress which breaks down the animals immune systems. The animals are denied adequate space, normal social interactions, and free movement. As a result, the animals often exhibit distressed neurotic behaviour, pacing frantically back and forth in their cages. Scandinavian countries account for 80% of world fox production and 54% of world mink production. [2] The Norwegian law for animal rights claims that the natural instincts and natural needs of the animal should be taken into consideration. While other European countries like Great Britain and Austria has forbidden fur farming, Norway has not taken any major steps towards limiting the suffering of these animals. I 1998 the Norwegian organisation Dyrebeskyttelsen Norge claimed a lawsuit against the fur-trading business for braking the dyrevernsloven. They achieved that Lagmannsretten in 1999 made a statement that the fur industry was unethical and that fur farming of mink and fox is done in a way that is in conflict with the animals original and basic needs. Even so, the court would not forbid fur farming. [3]
1.2
“ I think fur look much better on the animal than on the models” Stella Mc Cartney
1.1 Fur farming
Animals have been kept in captivity for the sake of their fur since the end of the 19-century. In Norway however, this tradition is rather young, and the fur farming was not established until in 1920-30. [1]
31 million animals are raised and killed on fur farms each year. Mink account for 26 million, fox 4.1 million. Chinchillas, racoon dogs (not to be confused with the North American racoon), fitch and sable make up for most of the other ranch-raised furbearers. Mink and fox are genetically wild animals that are not adapted to a life in captivity. Whereas a wild mink would range a territory that is approximately 3 square kilometres in size, a ranch-raised mink is confined to a cage that is 0,5 m2. The intensive confinement leads to self-mutilation, cannibalism, and a high level stress which breaks down the animals immune systems. The animals are denied adequate space, normal social interactions, and free movement. As a result, the animals often exhibit distressed neurotic behaviour, pacing frantically back and forth in their cages. Scandinavian countries account for 80% of world fox production and 54% of world mink production. [2] The Norwegian law for animal rights claims that the natural instincts and natural needs of the animal should be taken into consideration. While other European countries like Great Britain and Austria has forbidden fur farming, Norway has not taken any major steps towards limiting the suffering of these animals. I 1998 the Norwegian organisation Dyrebeskyttelsen Norge claimed a lawsuit against the fur-trading business for braking the dyrevernsloven. They achieved that Lagmannsretten in 1999 made a statement that the fur industry was unethical and that fur farming of mink and fox is done in a way that is in conflict with the animals original and basic needs. Even so, the court would not forbid fur farming. [3]
1.2
References: 1. Forskrift om hold av pelsdyr, 1998 2 7. Finansdepartementet. 2003. St.prp. nr. 1 (2003-2004). Den kongelige proposisjon om statsbudsjettet medregnet folketrygden for budsjetterminen 1. januar - 31. desember 2004. Oslo. 8. Landbruksdepartementet. 2002. St.meld. nr. 12 (2002-20039. Dyrehold og dyrevelferd. Oslo. 9. Norges Pelsdyralslag. 2001. Handlingsplan for dyrevelferd. Oslo. 22. Dawkins, M.S. 1990. From an animal’s point of view: motivation, fitness and animal welfare, Behav Brain Sci, 13:1-61. 23. Broom, D.M. 1993. A useable definition of animal welfare. J Agric Environm Ethics, 6, Suppl. 2:15-25. 28. Mason, G.J., Cooper, J. and C. Clarebrough. 2001 Frustrations of fur-farmed mink. Nature, 410:35-36. 29. Voigh, D.R.. 1988. Red Fox. In: Wild Furbearer Management and conservation in North America, 30, pp. 379-392. 30. Frafjord, K.. 1992. Behavioural ecology and behavioural energetics in the arctic fox Alopex lagopus. PhD. Thesis, University of Bergen. 31. Korhonen, H. and P. Niemelä. 1997. Choices of farm foxes for raised wire mesh cage and ground pen. Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 54:243-250. 32. Krohonen, H., Jauhiainen, L, Niemela, P., Harri, M. and R. Sauna-aho. 2001. Physiological and behavioural responses in blue foxes (Alopex lagopus): comparisons between space quantity and floor material. Animal Science, 72:375-387. 33. Ahola, L., Harri, M., Kasanen, S., Mononen, J. and T. Pyykonen. 2000. Effects of group housing in an enlarged cage system on grouwth, bite wounds and adrenal cortex function in farmed blue foxes (Alopex lagopus). Animal welfare, 9:403-412.