Many anti-fur campaigns and campaigners are not about improving welfare but simply the banning of all fur trade on ideological grounds. Everyone should have the freedom to make their own decisions in regard to wearing fur or not. But the main concern should be on the ban on fur farms who do not meet regulation and who treat animals unethically. Not all fur is obtained cruelly and not all fur farms are bad.
Minks raised in fur farms are eliminated each year to make millions of pelts. They are skinned, tanned and made into clothes, coats, accessories, pillows, and blankets. “Through the use of selective breeding, fur farmers have produced minks in shades of black, auburn, cream, and silver.” (National Geographics) Minks are small mammals with long, thin bodies, short legs, pointed snouts and claws. They have been bred in farms for over a century due to the high demand for their soft warm fur. There are ways to preserve fur pelts without the use of toxic chemicals, such as table salt, water, alum salts, soda ash, sawdust, cornstarch, lanolin and other natural ingredients.(truth about fur) But some manufacturers still use harsh chemicals like formaldehyde (linked to leukaemia), chromium (linked to cancer), etc. Not an attractive prospect either for wearers of fur or for the workers in processing who use these harsh chemicals.
One of the chemicals that causes pollution and harm to workers in the industry is called Chromium. It is the chemical at the center of the basic “chrome tanning” process that is widely considered to be very toxic. This chemical from tanneries can cause severe environmental degradation and pollution. ‘Chrome tanning process is usually achieved by placing hides into acidic baths which consist of a mix of chemicals, which in most cases means that the leather is no longer a natural product. These baths create masses of toxic wastewater, that when left untreated causes huge environmental and health impacts.(Balincourt) The environmental threat when dumping of liquid and solid waste that contains chromium leftover from the treatment can enter the water system in large quantities causing respiratory problems, infertility and birth defects. Poor processing practices and use of unrefined conventional leather processing further aggravate the pollution problem. ‘The use of chromium also puts workers at risk during the tanning process. If the dust, which is produced when chrome tanned leather is buffed or ground up, is inhaled, it can cause respiratory problems and increase the risk of lung cancer. When chromium comes in contact with the skin it causes dryness and cracking and sores, known as ‘chrome holes’. Even chrome tanned leather in its finished form poses an environmental threat: if the leather seats from scrapped cars are burnt then toxic chromium V1 may be released into the atmosphere. This can even occur as a result of car upholstery being exposed to prolonged strong sunlight.’( mahi leather) This is common practice in regions that have pretty much non-existent workplace and environmental protection regulations, they also happen to be the primary regions where leather is tanned, and labour rates are cheap such as China, India and Bangladesh. Instead of using Chromium, using Vegetable tanned leather is always a more natural use and has no negative environmental impact. Although the tanning method is ancient and requires skilled craftsmen, making vegetable tanned leather can develop a rich and beautiful patina, and actually gets better with time and use. It doesn’t crack or dry out and thus has a very long lifespan.
Fur farmers must provide excellent nutrition and care for their animals. Animals must have access to clean water, nutritious food, appropriate housing and veterinary care. After all these are living creatures with there own proper needs. ’The basic practice of fur farming is fairly standard throughout the world. Fur farmed animals live in very long sheds. Each animal in a shed lives in a separate cage. Cages are arranged in rows along the length of a shed facing each other a few feet off the ground for ease of clearing droppings.These cages give the farm animals sufficient space for normal movement and investigative behaviour.’(How to do, animals rights) Mink cages at some fur farms have nesting boxes containing straw or wood. Some minks have been found kept in cramped and unstimulating bare wire cages, their sensitive paws are frequently injured because of the mesh floor of the cage, leading to infected wounds. The unsuitable living conditions can cause chronic boredom and stress which leads to abnormal behavior such as running up and down their cages endlessly, continuously pacing in circles, rocking back and forth, and nodding. The caged fur animals also fear approaching humans, are apathetic, and kill their young. ‘The development of self-mutilation and aggression attempts to cope with adverse conditions or abnormal brain development in the highly restrictive cage environment. (how to do, animals right) Minks experience real suffering in these poor housing conditions and sometimes perish from the infection caused by self-mutilation.
Feces and urine fall through the wire mesh, to prevent the fur being dirtied. These animals have a very sensitive sense of smell and spend their lives subjected to an unbearable stench if the quantity of feces piled up is out of control. The stench from the feces and urine can cause ammonia and can burn there eyes and lungs. Maggot can infeste puddles collected underneath them if cages are not properly cleaned. Minks produce tens of thousands of waste every year. ‘There wastes are high in phosphorus and nitrogen. If the waste is not handled it can get out of hand and contaminate nearby waterways as well as when it rains this waste can wash downhill towards streams and other bodies of water. If it is left to soak into the soil it can contaminate the groundwater. The nutrients in the waste lead to excessive algae growth which in turn depletes the oxygen in the water.(Animal Liberation Front) Outdated and improper treatment of animal waste can lead to serious pollution problems. Improper collection and disposal of untreated animal waste can cause harm to human health. ‘dangerous and offensive odors and other air pollutants are also emitted, often making life for farm neighbors intolerable. Antibiotics are routinely used on farms they promote development of antibiotic resistance in bacteria that are present in animal waste.(Scorecard) Nitrogen in animal waste can turn into gaseous ammonia. ‘When ammonia enters the atmosphere, it combines with air pollutants mainly nitrogen and sulfur oxide compounds from nearby vehicles, power plants and factories to form PM2.5, which can travel long distances in the atmosphere. That’s how ammonia emissions in one part of the country can impact air quality in a downwind regions. (Ensia) It is important for fur farmers to follow proper treatment of animal waste. If not properly handled, the chemicals in the waste collected at these fur confinement operations pollute local water systems through runoff and leaching. If present in a large enough quantity, nitrogen eutrophication will lead to decreased oxygen levels and fish kills.
On a Contrary to what activists would have some of us believe, most farmers take great pride in what they do; they take good care of their animals and treat them with respect. After all, their livelihoods depend on these animals, and the only way to produce the high quality of mink is with excellent nutrition and care.’ Minks are euthanized by experienced fur farmers before getting skinned. Farming is a business and, like in most businesses, it is important to be efficient. It is a faster method when animals are euthanized. It is also important to understand that the skinning of a mink or other fur animal must be done very carefully, to avoid nicks and other damage that would lower the value of the fur. Killing is to be done with the least
possible disturbance to other animals. Pelting should take place sufficiently far away from
enclosures used for other animals so that these animals are not disturbed.(Truth about fur) In Most regions it is illegal to cause unnecessary suffering to an animal. Skinning an animal alive or in a way that causes it pain is not only immoral it’s clearly illegal. Yet there are some fur farmer who use barbaric methods that are inhumane. These animals are killed by electrocution, gassing, clubbing, beating them against the ground or by breaking their necks. These methods are designed to avoid damage to the animals pelts but often carried out unprofessionally. One of the cruel killing methods is electrocution. ‘According to the American Veterinary Medical Association, electrocution causes “death by cardiac fibrillation, which causes cerebral hypoxia,” but warns that “animals do not lose consciousness for 10 to 30 seconds or more after onset of cardiac fibrillation.” In other words, the animals can suffer from a heart attack while they are still conscious. (peta) Minks original habitat are in wooded areas that are near rivers, streams, ponds and marshes. ‘They are semi-aquatic and highly evolved physiologically to hold their breath. They are therefore highly tolerant to hypoxia (low levels of oxygen), which means they can suffer significantly during gassing(Fur For Animals) Some anti-fur campaigns and campiners get the misconception that all fur farms treat their animals cruelly when the time comes to kill there animal. But thats far from true there are ‘Fur farms that are regulated by municipal and state or provincial laws. Farmers who mistreat or do not provide proper care for their animals can be prosecuted under federal (and state/provincial) animal-cruelty laws. (Truth about Fur)
When the pelt is removed from a mink, nothing is wasted. The fat is rendered into mink oil that is made for the use in hypo-allergenic facial oils and cosmetics. The oil is used as well to protect and waterproof leather, and now sometimes to produce bio-fuels. Mink oil can be purchased at some pharmacies, on the Internet. ‘Mink carcasses are rarely eaten by humans as the scent gland gives the meat a distinctive flavor which most people don’t enjoy. However, they are not wasted. Some farmers trade them for fish offal with fishermen who use them as crab bait. Crabs love mink meat, but seals hate it! Other farmers give the carcasses to people who raise birds of prey or run wildlife preserves, zoos or aquariums. Yet others use them to make organic compost. Or they may be bought and rendered down to provide raw materials for a wide range of products, from tires and paint to makeup and organic fertilizers.(Fur commission USA) If the disposing of animals are incorrectly done and left outside to accumulate it can cause a health hazard from the stench of the rotting corpse and can even spread a disease. ‘when disposing of animal carcasses by incineration,10 a fairly common method of disposal. These air pollutants may include carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen oxides (NOx), sulfur dioxide (SO2), hydrochloric acid(HCl), volatile organic compounds (VOCs), dioxins, particulates and heavy metals.(The humane society)
Most fur farms are runned by multi-Generation Family Owned Businesses. ‘Today’s farm-raised minks are among the world’s best cared-for livestock. Good nutrition, comfortable housing and prompt veterinary care have resulted in livestock very well suited to the farm environment. National codes of practice and operating guidelines provide further assurance that farmed fur bearing animals are well cared for. In addition, mink farmers voluntarily adhere to stricter codes of animal husbandry to become certified.(Fur commission USA) Fur farms are inspected and well maintained. Fur is the primary product for mink farmers, nothing is wasted at all they make use of what they have. Fur farms provide needed employment, especially because minks can be raised on small parcels of land, and in regions where the soil is too poor or the weather too harsh for most other forms of agriculture. Modern fur trade is now conducted responsibly and sustainably. Fur is a natural, renewable, recyclable, long-lasting and ultimately biodegradable clothing material if not used with toxic harsh chemicals. After many decades of use, a fur garment or accessory can be thrown into your garden compost where it will return to the soil.
Many animal rights activists cannot bring themselves to respect the rights of others to make their own choices and sometimes demand that governments “ban” the production and trade of animal fur. When they see something they don’t like they immediately call for a ban instead of improving welfare or banning the fur farms conducting these atrocities. Most fur farms are certified and meet all the requirements. Why not ban the fur farms who did not follow the laws and requirement instead of banning them all. Pointing fingers at innocent farmers who treat their animals ethically and are experienced is unfair to not only them but the employes as well. The public gets misinformed and malicious about these fur farms from extreme activists. There is unique knowledge, skills, culture and, yes, values maintained by these family owned fur farms that have heritage in the industry. Specialized knowledge and skills are needed to select, cut, sew, and assemble fur pelts to produce a beautiful garment or accessory. These skills have been maintained and perfected through centuries, passed down from parents to their children. The artisan’s skills and knowledge are part of cultural history and heritage, they should be valued and protected. Not all fur is obtained cruelly and not all fur farms are bad. The ones who are should be the ones to be shut down and given a penalty for there crimes.
