FOUR PAWS Calls for EU-Wide Fur Farm Ban to Prevent Future Pandemics and Protect Animal Welfare

FOUR PAWS urges policymakers to ban fur farms in Europe after successful European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI). As winter is approaching, the demand for warmer clothes are returning and so is the demand for the production of fur. Eventhough the fur fashion is declining, there are still fur farms active in EU and other countries. These present a serious threat: a recently published study from various fur farms in China has identified 36 new viruses, including two unidentified avian influenza virus variants that killed half a million mink in Finland last year and a particularly insidious coronavirus variant HKU5, which is extremely dangerous to human health. In light of the impending revision to the animal welfare law, the international animal welfare organization FOUR PAWS is urging legislators to permanently ban fur farms in the EU. This is an essential step to stop the next pandemic, which might be even more dangerous than COVID-19. 

“Wild animals on fur farms are an ideal reservoir for pathogens. Minks, foxes and raccoon dogs are crammed into such confined spaces, they often cannot even turn around. There is no solid floor between the cages but wire mesh, which allows faeces and liquids to fall through and onto the animals below. This makes it easy for viruses to spread among animals. The question is not if a deadly virus will jump over to humans but when. It is extremely worrying that coronaviruses move back and forth between species. We must use these scientific findings for future prevention and tackle the root causes. Only a complete ban of fur farms within the EU and beyond can halt the rapid spread of viruses among furry wild animals and prevent the next deadly pandemic.”  said Thomas Pietsch, Head of Wild Animals in Textiles at FOUR PAWS. 

The European Union is a major region for fur production worldwide. Every year, millions of animals (mostly mink, foxes, and raccoon dogs) are legally imprisoned in small wire mesh cages and butchered to manufacture needless, easily replaceable fur products. The ECI’s objective is to put an end to this terrible practice by implementing an EU-wide ban on fur farming. On the grounds of public health and animal welfare, 19 Member States have already primarily controlled or outright prohibited fur farming.

“With the public shocked at the images of countless dead animals, it is no surprise that public perception is turning more and more against this brutal trade. It is about time that policy makers follow suit. More than 1.5 million Europeans have signed the ECI in support of a ban of fur farms on EU soil over a year ago, and until now nothing has happened. Only a joint effort led by the EU Commission, who has promised a new animal welfare legislation that is fit to current needs, can end the senseless mass killings of animals,” concludes Pietsch.

Following a successful campaign by FOUR PAWS and other animal welfare organizations under the guidance of the Fur Free Alliance (FFA), fashion powerhouse Max Mara decided to go fur-free in August 2024. Along with Dolce & Gabbana, Saint Laurent, Valentino, Prada, Gucci, Versace, Alexander McQueen, Balenciaga, and Armani, the Italian fashion brand became the latest to adopt a fur-free policy.