(THIS ARTICLE IS MACHINE TRANSLATED by Google from Norwegian)
The Veterinary Association, the Veterinary Institute, the Council for Animal Ethics and even the Norwegian Food Safety Authority emphasize that fur husbandry in cages is highly problematic. Keeping fur animals in tight cages is also prohibited in more and more countries.
The Storting's treatment of the fur animal report shows that some politicians want to sweep the animals' interests under the rug.
Attempt to squat. The Storting's treatment of the fur animal report shows that some politicians want to sweep the animals' interests under the rug. They want "peace" around the matter, but do not realize that ignoring public opinion, professionals and their own promises is hardly the way to achieve this. When a Minister of Agriculture asks those parties that want settlement not to "undermine" the fur industry's planned "development" in Norway, it is at best unmusical. He simply asks opponents to refrain from working for the good of the animals.
Of course, there is no need to squash the debate in this way. The debate is high on fur husbandry in three of the four parties that ensured that the minister himself characterized a "fragile" majority. The majority of virtually all party voters are opposed to furry cages. At the KrF's national meeting this year, it was decided that fur animals should have an outlet for natural needs – which should mean that they do not vote for cramped netting cages again.
The popular resistance to fur farming has persisted for decades. Almost 70 percent of the population believes fur farming is wrong. If not sooner, politicians in Norway seriously realized that it was problematic to put reefs and mink in the cage when the Animal Welfare Report came with a ten-year deadline for the fur industry in 2003: If the environment was no longer suitable to "meet the animals' behavioral needs" and the animals themselves was tame within ten years, then a liquidation low industry would take place. The deadline was, as is known, not kept. Instead, they received a NOU and a furry message that paradoxically described more problems for the furry animals than the 2003 report – more bite damage to the minks and heavier foxes with leg injuries – while the "old" problems such as lack of freedom of movement and poor environment for the animals were the same .
Get in the torchlight train! The "calm" around the fur industry is guaranteed not so long as politicians place business interests ahead of professional advice, popular opinion and the concern for animals. NOAH has organized major publications against the fur industry for 14 years. Last year, the organization's torch against fur rolled over 8200 people in 26 cities. This year's torchlight train will be launched on October 21st.
By showing year after year that we will never give politicians "tranquility" to expose animals to suffering, by lining up in the thousands of NOAH's torch against fur all over Norway every year, we change politicians' attitudes – one person, one local team, one lot at a time.
The 10-year deadline that the Animal Welfare Report (2003) gave the fur industry to provide an environment that can "meet the animals' behavioral needs" and tame animals was not kept.
When politicians who support the fur industry themselves say that they falter and doubt, when they ask us not to push for more, not to talk about the animals' case, not to protest so loudly – then we know that is exactly what we should do.
Well met in this year's torchlight train – the victory for the animals is within reach!
