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at launch of Private Members Bill,
Fur Farming (Prohibition) Bill 2004
The Green Party today launched its Private Members Bill, the Fur Farming
(Prohibition) Bill, 2004, which seeks to end fur farming in Ireland. The
Bill will be debated in the D~~il today and tomorrow, Wednesday 23 March.
There are currently 6 mink farms, one of which also farms silver and artic
foxes, operating in the Republic of Ireland and killing around 150,000
animals each year. A 2004 opinion poll showed that nearly two in three
Irish people believe that fur farming should be banned. Fur farming has
been banned outright in the UK, including Northern Ireland, since 1 January
2003.
Green Party Leader Trevor Sargent TD said today that, ~~~The intention of
this Private Member~~~s Bill is to end this needless and cruel practice. In
fur farming, mink and artic foxes are kept in small barren cages and killed
at six months old. They are either gassed or electrocuted through anal and
oral orifices so that the fur will not be damaged.~~~
~~~Fur farming is banned in Northern Ireland, Britain and Austria. It is
being phased out in Italy. The damage to wildlife from escaped mink has led
to the decimation of indigenous wildlife in places and caused serious
problems on poultry farms. Opinion polls have shown that the majority of
Irish people do not want to be associated with the cruelty of fur farming.
We urge people to lobby their local TDs asking them to support this
legislation to the practice.~~~
Green Party Whip, Dan Boyle TD added, ~~~ The Green Party hope that our Fur
Farming (Prohibition) Bill, 2004 will bring public attention to the lack of
Government action in this area and highlight the extent to which Ireland is
out of step in allowing ~~~farming ~~~of this type to take place.~~~
~~~We believe that fur farming is inhumane, unnecessary and damaging to our
agricultural image. The animal suffering involved is indefensible while the
end product of this pain and misery is not essential. We don~~~t need to wear
fur. There are alternatives.~~~
Mary-Anne Bartlett, Director of Compassion in World Farming - Ireland, said
that, ~~~Fur farming is not a large-scale industry in Ireland and it
contributes very little to the economy or to employment. But it does the
rest of Irish agriculture no favours because it sends out a message that
Ireland does not care about animal welfare.~~~
~~~Compassion in World Farming believes that prohibiting fur farming would
represent a major step forward in furthering high animal welfare standards
in Ireland.~~~
Mark Glover, Director of Respect for Animals, an international anti-fur
organisation based in the UK said that, ~~~Fur farming is not like any other
form of agriculture. Mink and fox are inherently unsuited to intensive
farming conditions. They are still essentially wild animals and to keep
them in this way is extremely cruel.~~~
~~~We congratulate the Green Party on bringing this Bill to the D~~il and we
welcome its debate. Fur factory farming was banned in the UK because it
offended public morality. In the UK over three-quarters of the population
were opposed to fur factory farming. Respect for Animals is committed to
bringing an end to this cruel and unnecessary industry throughout the world
and we hope that Ireland will join the growing number of countries which
will no longer permit fur farming.~~~
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Originally Posted by Gael
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