Millions of animals all over the planet are suffering from the taste of parts of consumers for natural fur. origin – Wikimedia Commons. licence – Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic. Author -Oikeutta eläimilleThe demands for a ban on rearing fur animals have been raised in our country for a long time. There have already been many attempts to introduce specified a change in the law, and in public space the voices of opposition to the existence of specified breeding are becoming increasingly noticeable. Nevertheless, Poland remains 1 of the fewer European countries where the fur manufacture inactive operates. What happens during the production of furs? Will this kind of business be banned?
Polish fur farms are among the largest in Europe. We are the second maker of animal fur in the European Union right after Denmark. The operation of animal husbandry companies for fur has been and is criticized by a large part of the public. Many people are disapproval of the activity of these companies and are afraid about the questionable welfare of animals and the inhumane conditions prevailing in farms. The images in the media of what happens during the breeding process origin controversy and provoke opposition from activists and animal rights activists.
Reports from NGOs
The conditions at farms are frequently revealed by NGOs dealing with animal rights activism. 1 of these investigations was conducted in a farm in Masanów by the Open Cages Association, fighting for the rights of breeding animals. For 2 months he recorded his work and the condition in which more than 80,000 mink were kept. In the video released by Open Cages, you can see scenes specified as the brutal beating of animals by workers or half-conscious mink with open wounds and insects increasing in them. The material besides shows semi-paralyzed breeding animals crawling around cages. Bad animal wellness was revealed on many another farms. 1 of them is simply a furry farm in Górki. Activists of Open Frames conducted an investigation in cooperation with investigative writer Onetu Janusz Schwertner. In a large part of the mink, we could see deep bite wounds that animals were suffering from stress. An activist documenting the conditions on the farm besides described how rods in cages hurt the paws and eyes of creatures bred in the plant.
With respect to the controversy arising around the fur industry, the Polish Union of Futer Animals Breeders points to the improvement by this organisation of a "Code of Good Breeding Practices". Farmers are to supply adequate environmental conditions and access to adequate veterinary care. However, this position argues with the problems of breeding that Marta Korczyk raised in her conversation with us. She is the manager of the Open Cages Association Campaign. The activist pointed out that tight cages in which creatures spend their full lives "make it impossible for animals to meet basic needs specified as movement or exploration of the site, but besides needs more circumstantial to a peculiar species". The organization continued: “Life in lockdown causes problems with animal wellness and intellectual health. We have repeatedly documented how animals endure from deformation and ft injuries, untreated open wounds, eye infections, ears, mouths, bites, or fatal victims of aggression of another individuals from the cage.” It should be added that, during activities in breeding, activists meet not only animals in mediocre physical and intellectual condition. The activist reported cases of apathy and stereopathy, which is manifested by repetition of pointless movements. "This could be, for example, spinning around or bouncing off the walls of the cage. There were times erstwhile we saw foxes in complete hopelessness that did not respond to any stimuli," said the activist. We tried to contact the president of the Polish Union of Futer Animals Breeders, but we did not get an answer.
Fight for Prohibition
The actions of various groups aimed at convincing the rulers to introduce a ban are regularly held in Poland. Organisations and associations are conducting campaigns specified as the Viva Foundation run entitled "Tomorrow Will Be Fur". It includes investigations at fur farms. Viva Foundation besides created, in the field of run work, a study on the fur manufacture in Poland, including, for example, an analysis of public data on the frequency of veterinary checks in fur livestock farms. The Open Cages Association besides created its action to ban the operation of farms. As part of the ‘Time for ban’ campaign, the organisation conducts information activities on breeding and calls for legal changes. The association besides co-organises protests against fur farms specified as the 1 organized on 24 November 2024 under the Sejm. The demonstration was organized on the occasion of the Day without Fur, during which, in addition to the demonstration, members of the Open Cages and Viva Foundation installed an installation at the Palace of Culture and discipline showing visitors what the real conditions of the animal life on the mink farm look like.
Activism seems to be working because, according to a survey by Biostat in July 2024, nearly 70% of Poles support the ban on breeding animals for fur. In fresh years, attempts have been made to delegalize fur farms, like the 1 in 2020 that the Law and Justice tried to introduce, by a bill commonly called “5 for animals”. The task containing legal changes to improve animal welfare in Poland was to ban fur farming and prevent animals from being kept on the chains permanently. However, the Act was not adopted by the large opposition of any PiSu activists and the fur breeders community supported by Radio Maryja. However, the chance to make changes to the law preventing fur farms from moving came back a fewer months ago. In June 2024, a draft law prohibiting animal breeding on fur was sent to the Sejm. It has been signed by over 120 Members. The proposals for a legal change were presented by the Green organization MP of the civilian Coalition, Małgorzata Tracz. The paper assumes that, erstwhile the government has passed through the legislative process, fresh fur farms will not be able to be created, and those already existing ones will should be closed 5 years after the adoption of the amendments to the law. The bill besides includes compensation for breeders dependent on the closure of the farm by the owner. Their scope range ranges from 25% to 5% of the average yearly income of the entrepreneur from his business. Support for regulations was expressed, in statements for the net portal of the public tv channel TVP Info, even Marek Sawicki, 1 of the conservative PSL politicians. The support of a associate of the Polish People's organization was amazing due to the earlier approach of this organization to changes in the law on animal husbandry to fur. As early as 2020, the rules to destruct fur farms, located in “5 for animals”, were loudly opposed by the leader of PSL, Władysław Kosiniak-Kamish.
However, the debate on the elimination of fur manufacture is not only in Poland. For respective years in Montenegro or Spain, this subject has been widely commented on. Currently, the ban on fur farming is in place in 22 European countries. The first country of the old continent, where specified a change was introduced, was the United Kingdom, in which the ban was introduced as early as 2000. Examples of another countries with bans on fur farming are France, Italy, Slovenia and the Netherlands. In Germany and Sweden, the government on the legal functioning of fur farms was so strict that the farms were closed despite the deficiency of an authoritative ban.
A large part of society and many activists and movements fighting for animal rights express hope for the conclusion of the process of animal husbandry in our country. The animal organizations at the same time show evidence of dramatic events occurring at farms. Although there is clear opposition from the conservative part of the political side, the prohibition of breeding can be resolved within respective months.
Leo Targoni
