The Spaniards want to stop raising animals in order to turn the page and kill them just to sell their skins. A recent survey commissioned by the NGO Tu Abrigo Su Vida (TASV) showed that: almost eight out of ten citizens (76%) are closing 32 fur farms in Spain.
The survey prepared at the end of 2021, 87% of the population consider it morally unacceptable to breed and kill mink for their fur.and 76% of the population support the farm ban raising animals mainly for fur production, such as ‘rex hycat’ rabbits, chinchillas and Nile crocodiles, as well as minks in the country. But especially minks.
The pandemic has had a before and after for the Spanish fur industry. In 2020, 73% of 2,700 European farms closed the industry after revealing itself as a focus of coronavirus infection.and several countries are pushing ahead with banning the industry, but the same has not happened in Spain.
SARS-CoV-2 infection in animals as susceptible as the American mink (commonly used in this industry in Spain) means: fur farms must follow strict control that prevents the emergence of new strains of the virus.which may be more lethal, infectious and/or resistant to vaccines.
Spain has not been exempt from the numerous covid outbreaks that have occurred in the fur industry.. In some cases, for example In Puebla de Valverde (Teruel), the infection ended with the slaughter of 92,700 minks and with compensation of more than one and a half million euros from the Government of Aragon to the company.
health safety risk
Fur farms are scattered in Spain between Galicia, Aragon, the Basque Country, Castilla y León and Valencia. about 750,000 images are produced each yearAccording to the WWF.
this health safety riskCombined with scientific evidence showing that this activity cannot meet the basic biological needs of fur-bearing animals in any way, 13 of the 27 member states of the European Union have banned these farmsIncluding France and Italy.
The measure is a broad social consensus. However, the same positioning in favor of the ban in Spain – this survey shows – has not been enough to stop the activity.
About a year ago, at the Council of Europe Agriculture and Fisheries Council Members meeting 12 countries supported the briefing note of Austria and the Netherlands calling on the EU to end fur farming harmoniously in all member states.
The European Commission, for its part, made a clear commitment in 2010. Farm to Fork Strategy To review the current general regime of EU animal welfare legislation by 2023, aligning it with current scientific knowledge. They also promised to consider possible options for applying labeling to products that meet certain animal welfare criteria.
Therefore, both the Franz Weber Foundation (FFW) and TASV, Unblocking the Animal Welfare ActImplementation of recommendations submitted to the Ministry of the 2030 Agenda and the General Directorate of Animal Protection. This measure has already received the support of more than 55,000 signatures Via a petition on change.org.
Threat to native species
According to Ecologists for Action, “There are many reasons to support the petition.” Conservation of biodiversity when using allochthonous animals released by accident or by promoted escapes, threat to native species; most requires great suffering for living beings who need large areas to meet their needs because they are crowded throughout their lives and danger to the health of the population.
Most of the animals used to provide fur, industrial farms. The number of animals slaughtered each year to make fur products is unknown, but some estimates put them between 40 and 60 million, of which 30 to 50 million are raised on fur farms.
Although the vast majority of animals used on fur farms are located in the European Union, this sector is also growing in China and other countries with important facilities such as the United States and Canada.
According to the NGO Animal Ethics, To make a fur coat, it takes 150 to 300 chinchillas, 200 to 250 squirrels, 50 to 60 mink or 15 to 40 foxes.depending on the subspecies of animals.
“To make leather production more economical, The animals are kept in small cages throughout their lives, in which they can barely move.They can never do activities such as running, swimming, etc. This is especially stressful for semi-aquatic animals like minks, because they never have access to water to swim in even though they have gutters,” she condemns Animal Ethics.