30 Reasons To Say NO To Chinchilla Fur Farming
30 reasons not to allow the breeding of chincillas or any other animals for fur in Croatia:
1. Croatia issued a ban on fur farming and it's been almost 10 years since the phase-out period.
2. The regulation on the fur farming ban passed the regular legal procedure and received the support of the majority of MPs; repealing the ban would negate the very essence of the rule of law.
3. Lifting the ban on fur farming directly harms farmers who have respected the phase-out and turned to other forms of production.
4. More than 70% of Croatian citizens spoke out against fur farming and the majority of European citizens oppose fur farming; the popularity of fur has declined over the years.
5. The fashion industry rejects fur: the most famous and most influential global brands such as Armani, Hugo Boss, Tommy Hilfiger, Calvin Klein and Stella McCartney have taken fur out of their collections.
6. Due to the use of hazardous chemicals such as lead, cyanide and formaldehyde, processing fur is dangerous to humans and can cause testicular cancer, leukemia and other diseases.
7. Selling fur clothing in which inadmissible quantities of toxic substances have been found is prohibited in European countries. Among them were children's clothing brands.
8. Processing fur endangers the environment. Environmental risks include toxicity which affects aquatic organisms as well as air pollution; the improper handling of waste can lead to water pollution.
9. The production of faux fur jackets requires only 1.3 litres of oil, while the production of jackets made of animal fur requires 83 litres of oil.
10. The World Bank considers fur processing to be one of the five worst industries in the world due to heavy metal contamination.
11. The Croatian Ministry of Environmental and Nature Protection states that it is undisputed that the leather and fur processing industry is extremely influential on the health and lives of people just as the improper handling during the tanning process may cause environmental pollution seeing as hazardous chemicals are used when processing.
12. Complete or partial bans on fur farming in many European countries show the prevailing ethical and ecological attitude towards such farms.
13. Discussions regarding a complete ban on fur farming in Belgium, Germany and the Czech Republic are underway.
14. The Netherlands has set a precedent with a verdict in favor of keeping the ban on fur farming, rejecting fur farmers' complaints with the explanation that the interest of the public, which does not approve of raising and killing animals for their fur, is more important than breeders' economic benefits.
15. It is the expert opinion of veterinarians and other animal experts that it is impossible to ensure the welfare of chinchillas in factory farms.
16. Keeping chinchillas in small cages prevents movement, running and jumping - typical of this species - and social behavior in which they would satisfy their natural needs and behavior.
17. Female chinchillas wear polygamous necklaces which hinder movement - although chinchillas in nature are monogamous, under fur farming conditions they are forced to mate with multiple males.
18. The conditions in which they are kept and bred result in their abnormal stereotypical behavior, fear, reproductive disorders and offspring mortality.
19. Chinchillas are killed in gas chambers, with chloroform, projectiles that penetrate the brain, they are electrocuted or their necks are snapped.
20. The Veterinary Inspection Office is overloaded with jurisdiction over a wide range of matters, which is why the law gives jurisdiction over certain aspects of animal protection to the Municipal Services Bureau, in order to take the pressure off the Veterinary Inspection Office. Allowing chinchilla fur farming would create a new domain that would require frequent monitoring by the Veterinary Inspection Office, which barely manages to implement controls of shelters and many other areas that are under its jurisdiction.
21. For the production of one fur coat 150 - 200 chinchillas are killed, which is ethically disputable due to the fact that a large number of animals is killed for a luxury good which isn't necessary for survival.
22. Chinchillas raised in fur farms aren't saved from extinction - chinchillas in their natural habitats have been brought to the brink of extinction because of the greed of individuals who benefit from their fur; chinchilla breeders only protect their interest in earnings and profits.
23. To exclude chinchillas from the ban would be illogical seeing as they are the only animals in Croatia bred for fur.
24. Chinchilla fur production in Croatia has decreased in relation to the time when the ban on fur farming was implemented and there is no reason to lift the ban.
25. The European Union allows member states to apply stricter rules on their territories to protect animals and therefore allows each member state the enactment of a complete ban on fur farming.
26. Veterinarians, experts, the vast majority of the public and politicians in Croatia support keeping the ban on fur farming, which was issued and implemented nine years ago.
27. Over 100 Croatian civil society organisations opted for the legal ban on fur farming.
28. Many Croatian celebrities such as Goran Višnjić, Ivica Kostelic, Vanna, Luka Nižetić and Iva Šulentić support the ban.
29. So far, more than 11,000 people have signed a petition for an improvement of the Animal Protection Act and to keep the fur farming ban, and that number is growing daily.
30. Due to global disapproval of fur farming, the irrelevance of the fur industry for the Croatian economy, the support of the local public, politicians, public figures, the fashion industry's initiative for a ban on fur farming and the political reputation of Croatia in the European Union and the world, it is essential to keep the existing regulation prohibiting fur farming (including chinchillas), which is included in the Animal Protection Act.
Posted April 2016
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