Fur farming in Ireland: time for a ban!

3Dayz

SOURCE: 3DAYZ

Please click HERE for example texts to send three messages: Twitter, Facebook, Email, or see below.


BACKGROUND

Minister for Agriculture Simon Coveney is about to decide what action, if any, to take about mink farming in Ireland. In November 2011 the Minister established a Review Group in his Department to review fur farming. Animal organizations in Ireland made detailed submissions to the Review Group, calling for fur farming to be banned.

There are 5 licensed mink farms operating in the Republic of Ireland. Figures from the Central Statistics Office in Ireland show that 141.812 mink pelts were exported in 2010 (the annual figure for 2011 is not available yet). The type of mink farmed for fur is the American mink. One of the mink farms used to also rear and slaughter foxes for their fur. The types of foxes farmed for fur are silver foxes and arctic foxes. According to the Irish Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine no foxes are being farmed at present. However, fox farming continues to be legal in the Republic of Ireland, with no licensing requirement for the farming of foxes for their fur.

At this moment Minister Simon Coveney awaits the report from the Review Group, after which he will make an announcement on the future of this most shameful industry.

Support the campaign to ban fur farming in Ireland! Send a protest letter today!


WHOM TO CONTACT

Tweet: @SimonCoveney

Facebook: facebook.com/SimonCoveney

Email: simon.coveney@oireachtas.ie, protest@3dayz.com


SAMPLE MESSAGES

Example tweet:

There are more than 140.000 reasons to ban fur farming in Ireland! Please decide for a ban @simoncoveney #FurFreeIreland

Example Facebook message:

With only 5 licensed mink farms in Ireland there is no economical reason to sustain this cruel industry. At the same time there are more than 140.000 ethical reasons to ban fur farming in Ireland. Please ban fur farms! More information: http://www.3dayz.com

Example Letter:

Dear Minister Coveney,

I understand from the “Government Legislation Programme for Summer Session 2011” section B titled “Bills in respect of which heads have been agreed and texts are being drafted” that the Animal Health and Welfare Bill will include a ban on fur farming.

This states that:

“Animal Health and Welfare Bill: To consolidate and update existing legislation in the areas of animal health and welfare, including the repeal of several extant statutes, the responsibility for the welfare of all animals within the Department and to ban fur farming”.

Please ensure that this happens as quickly as possible and that this ban occurs from the end of 2012 if not earlier.

The fur industry is based on animal exploitation and is a violation of their rights to live free from harm, being exploited, or being locked up . I would urge you in your position of Minister of Agriculture to use all of your influence to help stop this now.

I fully support that fur factory farming and the fur trade should be outlawed on the grounds of cruelty to animals and rights violations. Keeping an animal trapped in a small wire mesh cage for his entire life until he is killed by anal electrocution or gassing is not acceptable and should end immediately. Pretending our weak animal welfare laws are appropriate will not ensure this exploitation ceases. Only outlawing fur factory farming and the fur trade will. Please give this matter your full attention. I will look forward to your reply.

Sincerely,

[YOUR NAME]

SEE MORE: 3DAYZ

i am a little mink
why am i here
my future is so grim
that is very clear
i want to run i want to play
i want to live my life
the little mink way
but humans have decided
that a coat i should be
tortured, my fur debrided
why is this happening to me?

Karen Lyons Kalmenson