That the Parliament commends the work of Humane Society International/UK in exposing the reported conditions that some 700,000 animals are kept in annually in so-called high welfare fur farms in Finland; notes reports that the animals suffer both physically and mentally in cage confinement for their entire lives, and that their welfare needs are fundamentally not met; is concerned by virologists’ reported warnings that the cramped conditions on fur farms are ideal for viruses to mutate and spread, and that they therefore present a serious public health risk; understands that animals are kept in these conditions to supply a global fur trade, which, it believes, is unethical and cruel; believes that, despite Scotland introducing legislation banning fur farming in 2002, fur from countries including Finland continues to be imported and sold across the UK, which goes against the reported opinion of more than three quarters of the public who support a ban, including people in the Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale constituency; understands that, while powers over import and export control remain reserved to the UK Parliament, the Scottish Government is unable to ban the trade of all fur in Scotland; notes the calls for the UK Government to reintroduce legislation to do so, and further notes the calls for existing bans on the import of cat, dog and seal fur to be extended to cover all fur-bearing species.
Supported by:
Stephanie Callaghan, Maggie Chapman, Kenneth Gibson, Clare Haughey, Bill Kidd, Rona Mackay, Stuart McMillan, Audrey Nicoll, Colin Smyth, David Torrance