A recent survey shows that a growing number of Finns are ready to ban the practice of fur farming though quite a few said they would continue backing the practice if animal welfare were improved.
The survey was commissioned by two Finnish animal rights organisations, Animalia and Oikeutta elaimille. Finland is home to just under 1000 fur farms which process some four million animals annually, generating up to €400 million in revenue.
Among those surveyed, 80% said they opposed the current fur farming system where animals are kept in cages – a 10% jump compared to last year. Young people aged 15-24 and women were among those who opposed the practice the strongest.
But 30% said the practice should continue if welfare improvements were made, while 16% said there was no need for change.
The numbers differ, unsurprisingly, from a previous poll conducted by the Finnish Fur Breeders in April points to half of those surveyed saying they supported certified domestic fur farming, while 82% said they were very or fairly positive about the use of natural materials in clothing.
Finland’s fur farming industry, while important for the country’s west coast where 95% of the farms are located, has struggled with the COVID-19 pandemic, the closure of the Russian market and skyrocketing energy costs..
Leading the pack as the world’s biggest producer of fox skins and the only EU country where it is legal to breed Finnraccoon for 30 years since the European Commission granted an exemption in 2019, Finland may soon be forced to stop the practice altogether. Ireland, Italy, Latvia and Malta have already imposed a ban on fur farming just this year amid EU citizens’ initiatives “End the Cage Age” and “Fur Free Europe”.
