Irish Council Against Blood Sports
Mullingar, Ireland
MAR 31, 2022 —
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Ireland is another step closer to a ban on fur farming after the Animal Health and Welfare and Forestry (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill passed final stages in the Seanad on Tuesday (29 March 2022). The bill now goes to President Michael D Higgins who will sign it into law.
The owners of the three remaining fur farms in Counties Laois, Kerry and Donegal are set to receive compensation for closing down and demolishing their hellholes where an estimated 120,000 mink were cruelly caged every year and gassed to death at six months of age.
Foxes “who showed signs of fear” had also been subjected to fur farming’s horrors in the past. Department of Agriculture Veterinary Inspector reports obtained by ICABS in 2001 under Freedom of Information, revealed the method of killing of the unfortunate foxes – “The operative [uses] one hand to insert the earth probe per rectum and then to insert the charging probe either into the mouth or onto the ear. When the animal bites the probe it is immediately electrocuted. The operative maintains the charge for 10 seconds approximately.” In the 1998 report, the Department inspector shamefully added: “I can say that I firmly believe that this procedure is humane.” The cruel gassing of mink was also outrageously claimed to have been “carried out in an efficient, humane manner”.
In reality, mink fur farming is in no way humane. It involves confining the animals to cages where – as seen in video footage captured by ICABS – they repeatedly pace back and forth and jump against the bars. They are cruelly denied their ability to express natural behaviours. Eventually, they are pulled out squealing and thrown into a gassing box where they spend their last moments desperately trying not to inhale poisonous Carbon Monoxide. Mink are semi-aquatic and highly evolved physiologically to hold their breath. They are able to detect a lack of oxygen in their blood and are prone to hypoxia, which means they can suffer particularly during gassing.
The upcoming fur farming ban follows long-running campaigns by several groups (including an ICABS campaign over more than 20 years), protests, petitions, political lobbying, a statement from Veterinary Ireland backing a ban and a RED C opinion poll which showed that an 80 per cent majority in Ireland want fur farming banned.
Among those calling for a ban were over 400 from the worlds of film, television, theatre, radio, sport, literature and music. The list of high profile personalities, compiled by Irish actor Rachel Pilkington, included Oscar-nominated actors Saoirse Ronan, Ruth Negga and Stephen Rea, Oscar-nominated directors Lenny Abrahamson and Jim Sheridan, Emmy award-winning director Emer Reynolds, Olympic medallist Sonia O’Sullivan, former international rugby player Alan Quinlan, musicians Sharon Shannon, Damien Dempsey, Mundy, Don Mescall, Mary Coughlan, Josh Gray and Brian Kennedy, author Cathy Kelly, comedians Deirdre O’Kane and PJ Gallagher and many more.
This week’s development comes nearly three years after the then government pledged to ban the practice.
In June 2019, prior to the current FF/FG/Green government coalition, former Agriculture Minister Michael Creed (Fine Gael) agreed that “the farming of mink is counter to good animal welfare” and that “it is considered timely to commence the phasing out of the industry in Ireland.”
“The government will now proceed to bring forward a Bill which will be drafted in conjunction with the Attorney General’s Office,” he stated. “The Government Bill will provide for a phased basis for the ban for existing operators. The Government Bill will make it illegal for any new fur farms to be established. Phase out arrangements will be put in place for the small number of current operators to allow for an orderly wind down of the sector and to allow time for employees to find alternative opportunities.”
Fianna Fáil had previously “agreed to back the proposal to introduce a ban on the farming of mink for the production of fur in Ireland”.
This came after the introduction to the Dail of the “Prohibition of Fur Farming Bill 2018” by Solidarity/People Before Profit TDs Paul Murphy, Mick Barry and Ruth Coppinger and majority political support for a ban. Along with Fianna Fáil, other parties which gave their backing to a ban were Sinn Féin, Labour, Independents 4 Change, the Green Party, the Social Democrats and Aontú.
A big thank you and well done to all the individuals, groups and politicians who campaigned over the years for a ban.
SEE ALSO:
Fur farming set to be banned in Ireland
https://www.rte.ie/news/ireland/2022/0330/1289320-fur-farming/
A retired Irish fur farmer has revealed on the Claire Byrne show on RTE Radio 1 that fur farming was introduced into Ireland by two vets. Later in the show he admitted that he broke the necks of mink with his hands
https://www.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=3439515122830688&id=463547953760768
Paul Murphy TD asks Agriculture Minister about “plans for banning fur farming”
https://www.facebook.com/banbloodsports/posts/3997668440348684
Jennifer Whitmore TD urges Taoiseach to “move immediately to ban fur farming in Ireland”
https://www.facebook.com/banbloodsports/videos/1142900706112158/
“We’ve drafted a bill to ban fur farming in Ireland”: Congratulations to Solidarity TDs Ruth Coppinger and Paul Murphy on their announcement today (12 July 2018)
https://www.facebook.com/banbloodsports/videos/1750869355028615/
Celebs back anti-fur farms campaign https://www.independent.ie/regionals/herald/news/celebs-back-anti-fur-farms-campaign-30448280.html
VIDEOS
Victims of Ireland’s cruel fur farming
https://youtu.be/artr7qwCLLk
Mink screaming on an Irish fur farm
https://youtu.be/62P0saq6DO0
Exposing the Big Game 
Reblogged this on Committee to Abolish Sport Hunting Blog.