Vienna, 19 September 2024 – With dropping temperatures, warmer clothes are returning and with them, fur. However, recent fur production figures from 2023 continue the downward trend the industry has been facing for years. While fur fashion is declining, there are still fur farms active in the EU and across the world. With these, a serious threat is looming: a newly published study from different fur farms across China has revealed a total of 36 new viruses, including the particularly insidious coronavirus variant – HKU5, which poses a severe threat to human health, as well as two unknown avian influenza virus variants that caused the mass killing of half a million mink in Finland last year. Global animal welfare organisation FOUR PAWS urges policymakers to ban fur farms once and for all in the European Union under the upcoming amendment of the animal welfare law. This is a necessary measure to prevent a next pandemic that might be even more dangerous than COVID-19.

A study was recently published in the Nature Journal, which examined wild animals such as minks, foxes and raccoon dogs that had died from diseases on different fur farms across China between 2021 and 2024. The results are alarming: a total of 125 different viruses were discovered in the 461 wild animals examined, 36 of which were new to the scientists. Around a third (39) of the viruses pose a high risk of cross-species transmission, including zoonoses, i.e. transmission to humans. Of particular concern is the fact that the coronavirus variant HKU5, which was originally only detected in bats, was found in two minks from the same farm. In addition to raccoon dogs, these stood out in the study, as both species were found to have the largest number of potentially high-risk viruses.

Fur: Production and public consent have been declining for years

Poland is Europe's largest producer of fur. 4.5 million pieces of mink and fox fur were produced in 2021. In 2023 it was three million. Finland also accounts as one of the largest fur producers in the EU. While 1,750,000 fox and mink fur items were produced in 2021, 690,000 pieces were produced in 2023. The reason for this, in addition to the growing awareness of the population and the resulting decline in demand, is a tragedy that occurred in 2023. Last year, Finland was hit by a landmark bird flu epidemic which led to the mass killing of almost 500,000 wild animals kept on fur farms. A barbaric solution that could have been prevented had these farms been closed as has been internationally demanded for so long. Even the population of the Scandinavian country itself is less and less in favour of the cruel fur production. While in 2022 46% of the Finnish population were still in favour of fur farms, by 2024 this figure had fallen to 39%.

“In a desperate act almost half a million of minks, foxes and raccoon dogs were killed across Finland during just a few weeks. An avoidable tragedy which was caused by human greed and ignorance that fuels the fur industry. With the public shocked at the images of countless dead animals, it is no surprise that public perception is turning more and more against this brutal trade. It is about time that policy makers follow suit. More than 1.5 million Europeans have signed the ECI in support of a ban of fur farms on EU soil over a year ago, and until now nothing has happened. Only a joint effort led by the EU Commission, who has promised a new animal welfare legislation that is fit to current needs, can end the senseless mass killings of animals,” concludes Pietsch.

Background

The European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI) Fur Free Europe took place from March 2022 until March 2023. The ECI was submitted by a group of citizens from seven EU Member States. It aims to achieve an EU-wide ban on the keeping and killing of animals for the sole or main purpose of fur production, as well as placing farmed animal fur, and products containing such fur, on the EU market.

The European Union is one of the main regions for fur production globally. Every year millions of animals (mainly mink, foxes and raccoon dogs) are legally confined in small wire mesh cages and killed to produce unnecessary, easily replaceable fur articles. The mission of the ECI is to end this cruel practice by introducing an EU-wide prohibition of fur farming. End of 2023 the EC has tasked the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) to compile a scientific opinion with regards to the welfare of animals bred for fur production to be submitted by March 2025.

Currently, 19 Member States have already totally or partially banned or strictly regulated fur farming on grounds of animal welfare and public health.

In August 2024, Max Mara, a fashion giant has gone fur-free after a successful campaign of FOUR PAWS and other animal welfare groups under the umbrella of Fur Free Alliance (FFA) which is active in over 35 countries around the world. The Italian fashion brand joined world´s major fashion houses that had already gone fur-free including Dolce &Gabbana, Saint Laurent, Valentino, Prada, Gucci, Versace, Alexander McQueen, Balenciaga and Armani.