Breeding and/or catching animals for their fur: Debate

Against fur production

The Humane Society of the United States recently published a paper (January 2009) addressing the impacts of fur production on the environment. The report demonstrates that the production of fur for fashion imposes significant impacts on the environment and on human health.

The "fur farms" account for 85% of the world's production of animal fur (International Fur Trade Federation). When considering the animal waste from this mass farming there is inevitably going to be high concentrations of phosphorus and nitrogen. The chemicals in this waste can pollute water systems through runoffs and leaching. This may deprive oxygen levels in the water killing the eco-structure of the aquatic environment. Air pollution arises through gases released in the animals manure and from burning of the discarded animal carcasses. In 1991 the Environment Protection Agency fined 6 New Jersey fur processors 2.2 million as a result of pollution. Large amounts of food also need to be produced for the animals on the farms.

The chemicals used to preserve the pelts are not environmentally friendly and are also a hazard to human health, being toxic or carcinogenic. This comes froms the International Agency for Research on Cancer when assessing the negative health effects of chemicals such as lead, formaldehyde, chromium and naphthalene. It also takes 20 times more energy to produce a fur coat than a synthetic coat. This includes the transport of treating and marketing the final product and also special storage holds for people to store their fur coats at a constant temperature.

These fur farms are unregulated in China and even regulated farms around the world have pro-fur groups attempting to misinform the public with test results of animal welfare. An example is where the fur industry did tests on minks to prove that they do not suffer from physiological conditions due to stress of cramped conditions. Minks develop stomach ulcers and enlarged adrenal glands due to the stress of living in cramped conditions and being unable to dip in ponds which they would do every 10 minutes in the wild. The fur industry did tests on young minks, where they are too young to develop ulcers anyway. 10% of mink farm fur stock die of heat related conditions being unable to cool down in water.

Inbreeding and cross-breeding is used to reflect the fashion colour phases with artificial insemination being used at times when animals are not meant to be in their breeding season. This is a stressful process for the animal and can cause injuries. The Hedlund White Mink is a genetic mutant from this inbreeding and goes deaf after 30 days along with the Blue Iris Mink which has a weakened immune system.

To ensure the pelt is high quality the animals are often killed through strangulation, compression chambers, breaking the neck, gassing and poisoning which can cause ongoing convulsions. Foxes are commonly killed through anal electrocution while chinchillas have been electrocuted with a metal hook to the ear and the other to their genitalia.

The welfare of animals on fur farms is constantly under scrutiny . Chinchillas, mink and foxes are deprived from their natural behaviour and physical needs being kept in tiny cages on death row.
The stress of being kept in these cages leads to abnormal behaviour such as circling, repetitive pacing, infanticide and self-mutilation. All stereotypic behaviour of stress. Some pro fur people may compare this to other farming industries saying it's no different to farms breeding for meat. This can be true as intensive farming can lead to all animals being treated like a product on a factory conveyer belt. However the difference is that they are a lot more domesticated then animals used in fur farms.

Animals that are killed in the wild for their fur are often caught in inhumane traps. Leg hold traps have led to animals chewing off their own leg in order to escape the pain and injury. Traps are set in water for animals such as beavers, minks and muskrats. These traps lead them to drown over a long period.

Endangered and threatened species are also being caught in traps, such as the Canada Lynx which is threatened and the Grey Wolf which is endangered under the Endangered Species Act. Traps cannot 'choose' what animal to catch and may even end up killing pets.

Considering every process involved in breeding, trapping, killing, processing and marketing animals for fur I do not understand why it goes on in such mass numbers, around 31 million being killed each year. It is inhumane and cruel and the majority being in the name of fashion to meet human's selfish inconsiderate needs.


For Fur Production

Any type of farming is subject to rules and regulations that must be followed and are subject to regular inspections. People are using animal products all of the time that come from intense farming practices. An example is dairy farms for milk but people think this is OK. The calves born to stimulate milk production are normally killed as the best dairy cows do not always have the best meat and of course they are not allowed to drink their mothers milk as it is needed for the dairy business.

According to the British Fur Trade Association consumers can be assured of where their fur product has come from when purchasing products with Origin Assured labels on them. They can also follow a fur trail to discover more about the fur industry which only used approved farms.
The fur trade provides employment for 1.5 million people outside of the EU and 143,000 people in the EU and is worth £400-£500million a year to the UK. The wild fur is taken from animals as part of wildlife management programmes helping maintain natural ecosystems.
Food is not wasted on large amounts of animals on the farm as there are many waste products from the poultry and fishing industry and many Aboriginals rely on wearing fur to keep them warm and to reinforce their traditions and cultural values.
85% of fur comes from fur farms which are regulated.

The Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) Environment Unit published this paper written by Richard North in 2000 in defence of the fur trade.

Other wildlife crime topics covered in my degree:

Species at Risk: Bats

The Illegal Wildlife Trade

Bees

Biodiversity Action Plans (BAPS)

The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 (WCA81)

Twelve Fish Protected Under WCA81

Breeding and/or Catching Animals for fur: Debate

Traditional Alternative Medicines (TAMs)

Seals

Environmental Ethics and Ecopsychology

The Climate Change Conference 2009

Biological Diversity

Conservation Strategies

Conventions, Legislation and Contributing Bodies

Example Papers of Forensic Analysis used in Wildlife Crimes

Researching Wildlife Crime - My Research Idea

Climate Change Affecting Wildlife

Coral Reefs