Ложь меховой промышленности / Pelsbransjens løgner (2008)
Uploaded by AnimalRightsSpb on 27.03.2012
Transcript:
All the materials in this film are from Norwegian fur farms in 2008
The worst thing I saw
during this project
was a young pup,
alone in a big cage,
separated from his siblings and mother.
Two of his legs had been chewed off
and he jumped around on his limbs
which still were bloody.
I have never before seen such a helpless creature.
It was as if I was forced to
constantly crawl on my knees...
That sight is going to haunt me for the rest of my life.
Lies of the Fur Industry
We started our group, the Network for Animal Freedom,
in the autumn of 2007. It was started by activists
who have been working against the fur-industry for years.
The activists in our group have been focusing on fur issues
since we started, but also before that. Anti-fur campaigning
has always been one of the main priorities
amongst activists in Norway.
We were several groups that drove around
to take pictures and to get an impression of
the state of the fur farms.
One of the first things we did was to visit a farm
in one of the neighboring counties to Oslo, Østfold.
We went through the condition of the farm relating to
new regulations that will be implemented in 2009.
What we've been doing is collecting information
from approximately 120 farms.
120 of the 500 Norwegian fur farms,
which is more than 20%.
We visited all the counties
that have fur farms.
We have documented conditions
for both fox and mink.
There were obvious violations of the law
on each of the farms we visited.
There has been fur farming in Norway
for less than a century.
Today there are about 500 fur farms left.
Most of them breed fox and mink.
The animals are kept
in tiny cages all their lives.
Breeding animals are kept there for years,
while those used for furring
are killed when they are about six months old.
About 800 000 animals are killed on Norwegian fur farms each year.
The minks are usually gassed
while the foxes electrocuted with probes
inserted in the rectum and mouth.
The Norwegian fur industry is subsidized annually with
approximately 70 million kroner (roughly €8.000.000).
Modern fur industry mainly produces fur trim,
such as the fur trim on coats
or fur details on shoes.
In 1998, new legislation was implemented
to regulate fur breeding in Norway.
The fur farmers were given ten years to adjust to the new regulations,
concerning cage sizes and furnishing amongst other things.
By January 1st, the farmers must be adapted to the new standards.
The Norwegian Food Safety Authority
is responsible for inspecting the fur farms.
However, the farms are rarely visited.
The Norwegian Food Safety Authority say they don't have
the resources to prioritize inspections.
"I want them to think of fur as a natural product. I want them to have an idea that this is a harmonic product." - Ola Aa. Eldøy. Former CEO of The Norwegian Fur Breeders' Association
The fur industry claims that they are an environmentally friendly industry.
They argue that fur is eco-friendly.
This is not true, neither in general nor on
and of the specific farms we visited.
On many of the farms we saw that waste literally
was poured out on the ground.
The cages were often dripping...
A mixture of excrement, old food, dust and litter seeps straight
from the farm down to the groundwater.
We have seen multiple examples of this.
I'm not sure whether to laugh or cry.
Besides the bad smell and the screams,
there is the usual car wreck..
Most places either have
old home appliances laying around,
or one or more old car wrecks rusting on the ground.
We have seen so many strange things.
We saw a bus that's been used as cage housing.
Animal excrement is hardly taken care of.
On many farms the waste runs
straight into nearby rivers.
We've seen multiple examples of dead animals
that have been thrown into the surrounding nature.
My impression is that environmental concerns
are non-existent in this industry.
There are obviously a few exceptions,
but the farms are in general extremely dirty.
The Network for Animal Freedom found violations and
unacceptable conditions on every farm visited.
Poor sanitation and terrible hygienic conditions
were commonplace.
Many places bore obvious signs
of extremely neglected sanitation.
In some cases, animals lived in their own excrement.
A lack of waste management is the rule
rather than the exception on most farms.
This leads to emissions going directly into the ground
and polluting the groundwater.
Because animals used in fur farming are predators
and feed on animal products,
their excrement has a higher nutritional content
than excrement from usual farm animals.
The concentration of phosphorous,
ammonia, and nitrogen is especially high.
Many farms were old and on the verge of ruin,
with water leakages, rotting woodwork,
and worn-down buildings.
Too small cages were also discovered,
as well as a lack of protection from the weather.
More 60% of the farms did not have boxes
in the cages for all the foxes.
One could also observe damaged cages
with sharp edges that were harmful to the animals.
"Farmed fur animals generally have good health and are in this regard at the top among Norwegian farm animals. The animals show clear signs of comfort and happiness." - Pelsinform. The fur industry's head organization
I think it was because he was so exhausted
and because he stood on the mesh floor constantly,
without the opportunity to retreat,
or the opportunity to relax,
that he probably stepped and stepped
until he fell through and was left lying
with his tiny feet and nose
sticking out of the holes in the cage.
He lay there, shivering.
At first I thought he was dead
because he was lying perfectly still.
But when I looked closer,
I saw that he was just lying there, exhausted and afraid.
Another episode I remember well
is a fox we met with an seriously broken bone.
This was a mature breeding vixen.
She was probably 4 or 5 years old.
We saw how exhausted and tired the animal was.
She paced and limped on the broken leg,
and her other legs
were deformed from life in the cage.
It looked as though the limb had been broken a long time.
It's hard to determine whether for years or for months.
I have never seen such an exhausted animal.
She looked as though she had completely resigned,
and reacted to almost nothing.
It deeply affected me.
The Animal Rights Paragraph states that animal instincts and
natural necessities must be taken into consideration
so that they are not at risk of unnecessary suffering.
The Network for Animal Freedom's documentation
proves that animals in Norwegian fur farms suffer.
In many places, activists found animals
with acutely serious, untreated injuries
that showed long-term neglect
and no medicinal treatment.
Due to stress, frustration, and far too little space
it is not uncommon for the animals in the fur industry
to begin gnawing themselves or each other.
Instances of gnawed off tails
or ears were common.
On certain farms,
half the minks had gnawed-off ears.
Animals with large, untreated wounds were not uncommon.
Many of the animals had large and acute
bite wounds on various parts of their bodies.
Infanticide is a significant problem in the fur industry.
The mothers are in a very stressed situation
without the possibility to retreat
and protect their children.
This is one of the reasons that many bite
or kill their own pups,
something that inspections confirm.
It was not uncommon to find dead pups in the cages
or around the farms.
Eye infections and untreated gum diseases
were widespread.
Animals with broken, lame,
or eaten off limbs were also found.
Many of the foxes had deformed paws and claws
which restricted their freedom of movement.
Most of the animals showed clear signs of stress
and at times, extreme fear of humans.
Many had developed
serious mental behavior disorders
as a result of being caged.
Stereotypical behavior or apathy
was observed at all of the inspected farms.
"No country in the world can boast a larger effort to improve fur animals' well-being than Norway." - Sven Gil Westersjø. Advisor, The Norwegian Fur Breeders' Association
Stereotypical behavior is very common.
You see it at all the farms.
It seems as though the animals are either apathetic
or have stereotypical behavior.
Meaning that they run back and forth
and jump up and down in the cage.
There are some that never stop.
I saw a fox that just jumped up and down
and just would never relax.
They never get to rest. They have no place to hide.
They have no stimuli at all,
they step and step on the mesh floor.
They often have many wounds on their feet
but even the animals that look healthy
also look extremely frightened.
When one approaches the animals, looks them in the eyes,
one can recognize that feeling.
We know what it's like to be frustrated and afraid.
A unified, international animal rights movement
has for years worked towards abolishing fur farming.
Resistance towards fur farming is large.
In a survey performed by Opinion,
72% answered that they were opposed to the fur industry.
According to another survey, half replied
that they found it important
to work against the fur industry in Norway.
Official institutions have
also expressed criticism towards the fur industry.
During a lawsuit where the fur industry
was sued by an animal welfare group,
the court concluded in their verdict
that fur farming is unethical.
The Council for Animal Ethics states
that if one places deciding emphasis on animals' well-being,
then today's fur industry is indefensible
and should therefore be abolished.
During work with the Animal Rights Paragraph in the 70's,
the Norwegian parliament considered fur farming indefensible
as long as there were alternative methods
of producing warm clothing.
In 2012 the Norwegian parliament will consider
the abolition of fur farming.
as it was presented in Parliament statement 12, 2002.
Many European countries have already
agreed on bans on fur farming,
or set in place such strict rules
that it is no longer economically viable.
In Sweden and The Netherlands, fox farms are banned.
In Denmark, a similar ban is being discussed.
Great Britain, Ireland, and Austria
have introduced bans on fur farming.
Switzerland has dismantled it's fur farms,
and Italy has introduced laws that in practice
mean the end of mink farms.
Isn't it about time
that Norwegian authorities follows?
"In closing I would like to challenge everyone wondering what fur farming is really about to take a visit to one of the fur farms in your local environment." - Ingebjørg Myrstad-Nilsen. Information Assistant, The Norwegian Fur Breeders' Association
One of the foxes that made the biggest impression on me
and that I don't think I'll ever forget...
...I don't know where to begin.
He had wounds from his head to his tail.
He had open sores on his feet,
an ear that hung from his head
and around his ear and across his entire face,
he was covered in a mess of pus and blood.
When I was there the animals had just been fed.
It made an impression on me.
Someone had been there and seen him,
but still decided to just walk on.
For more information, visit:
www.forbypels.no
The worst thing I saw
during this project
was a young pup,
alone in a big cage,
separated from his siblings and mother.
Two of his legs had been chewed off
and he jumped around on his limbs
which still were bloody.
I have never before seen such a helpless creature.
It was as if I was forced to
constantly crawl on my knees...
That sight is going to haunt me for the rest of my life.
Lies of the Fur Industry
We started our group, the Network for Animal Freedom,
in the autumn of 2007. It was started by activists
who have been working against the fur-industry for years.
The activists in our group have been focusing on fur issues
since we started, but also before that. Anti-fur campaigning
has always been one of the main priorities
amongst activists in Norway.
We were several groups that drove around
to take pictures and to get an impression of
the state of the fur farms.
One of the first things we did was to visit a farm
in one of the neighboring counties to Oslo, Østfold.
We went through the condition of the farm relating to
new regulations that will be implemented in 2009.
What we've been doing is collecting information
from approximately 120 farms.
120 of the 500 Norwegian fur farms,
which is more than 20%.
We visited all the counties
that have fur farms.
We have documented conditions
for both fox and mink.
There were obvious violations of the law
on each of the farms we visited.
There has been fur farming in Norway
for less than a century.
Today there are about 500 fur farms left.
Most of them breed fox and mink.
The animals are kept
in tiny cages all their lives.
Breeding animals are kept there for years,
while those used for furring
are killed when they are about six months old.
About 800 000 animals are killed on Norwegian fur farms each year.
The minks are usually gassed
while the foxes electrocuted with probes
inserted in the rectum and mouth.
The Norwegian fur industry is subsidized annually with
approximately 70 million kroner (roughly €8.000.000).
Modern fur industry mainly produces fur trim,
such as the fur trim on coats
or fur details on shoes.
In 1998, new legislation was implemented
to regulate fur breeding in Norway.
The fur farmers were given ten years to adjust to the new regulations,
concerning cage sizes and furnishing amongst other things.
By January 1st, the farmers must be adapted to the new standards.
The Norwegian Food Safety Authority
is responsible for inspecting the fur farms.
However, the farms are rarely visited.
The Norwegian Food Safety Authority say they don't have
the resources to prioritize inspections.
"I want them to think of fur as a natural product. I want them to have an idea that this is a harmonic product." - Ola Aa. Eldøy. Former CEO of The Norwegian Fur Breeders' Association
The fur industry claims that they are an environmentally friendly industry.
They argue that fur is eco-friendly.
This is not true, neither in general nor on
and of the specific farms we visited.
On many of the farms we saw that waste literally
was poured out on the ground.
The cages were often dripping...
A mixture of excrement, old food, dust and litter seeps straight
from the farm down to the groundwater.
We have seen multiple examples of this.
I'm not sure whether to laugh or cry.
Besides the bad smell and the screams,
there is the usual car wreck..
Most places either have
old home appliances laying around,
or one or more old car wrecks rusting on the ground.
We have seen so many strange things.
We saw a bus that's been used as cage housing.
Animal excrement is hardly taken care of.
On many farms the waste runs
straight into nearby rivers.
We've seen multiple examples of dead animals
that have been thrown into the surrounding nature.
My impression is that environmental concerns
are non-existent in this industry.
There are obviously a few exceptions,
but the farms are in general extremely dirty.
The Network for Animal Freedom found violations and
unacceptable conditions on every farm visited.
Poor sanitation and terrible hygienic conditions
were commonplace.
Many places bore obvious signs
of extremely neglected sanitation.
In some cases, animals lived in their own excrement.
A lack of waste management is the rule
rather than the exception on most farms.
This leads to emissions going directly into the ground
and polluting the groundwater.
Because animals used in fur farming are predators
and feed on animal products,
their excrement has a higher nutritional content
than excrement from usual farm animals.
The concentration of phosphorous,
ammonia, and nitrogen is especially high.
Many farms were old and on the verge of ruin,
with water leakages, rotting woodwork,
and worn-down buildings.
Too small cages were also discovered,
as well as a lack of protection from the weather.
More 60% of the farms did not have boxes
in the cages for all the foxes.
One could also observe damaged cages
with sharp edges that were harmful to the animals.
"Farmed fur animals generally have good health and are in this regard at the top among Norwegian farm animals. The animals show clear signs of comfort and happiness." - Pelsinform. The fur industry's head organization
I think it was because he was so exhausted
and because he stood on the mesh floor constantly,
without the opportunity to retreat,
or the opportunity to relax,
that he probably stepped and stepped
until he fell through and was left lying
with his tiny feet and nose
sticking out of the holes in the cage.
He lay there, shivering.
At first I thought he was dead
because he was lying perfectly still.
But when I looked closer,
I saw that he was just lying there, exhausted and afraid.
Another episode I remember well
is a fox we met with an seriously broken bone.
This was a mature breeding vixen.
She was probably 4 or 5 years old.
We saw how exhausted and tired the animal was.
She paced and limped on the broken leg,
and her other legs
were deformed from life in the cage.
It looked as though the limb had been broken a long time.
It's hard to determine whether for years or for months.
I have never seen such an exhausted animal.
She looked as though she had completely resigned,
and reacted to almost nothing.
It deeply affected me.
The Animal Rights Paragraph states that animal instincts and
natural necessities must be taken into consideration
so that they are not at risk of unnecessary suffering.
The Network for Animal Freedom's documentation
proves that animals in Norwegian fur farms suffer.
In many places, activists found animals
with acutely serious, untreated injuries
that showed long-term neglect
and no medicinal treatment.
Due to stress, frustration, and far too little space
it is not uncommon for the animals in the fur industry
to begin gnawing themselves or each other.
Instances of gnawed off tails
or ears were common.
On certain farms,
half the minks had gnawed-off ears.
Animals with large, untreated wounds were not uncommon.
Many of the animals had large and acute
bite wounds on various parts of their bodies.
Infanticide is a significant problem in the fur industry.
The mothers are in a very stressed situation
without the possibility to retreat
and protect their children.
This is one of the reasons that many bite
or kill their own pups,
something that inspections confirm.
It was not uncommon to find dead pups in the cages
or around the farms.
Eye infections and untreated gum diseases
were widespread.
Animals with broken, lame,
or eaten off limbs were also found.
Many of the foxes had deformed paws and claws
which restricted their freedom of movement.
Most of the animals showed clear signs of stress
and at times, extreme fear of humans.
Many had developed
serious mental behavior disorders
as a result of being caged.
Stereotypical behavior or apathy
was observed at all of the inspected farms.
"No country in the world can boast a larger effort to improve fur animals' well-being than Norway." - Sven Gil Westersjø. Advisor, The Norwegian Fur Breeders' Association
Stereotypical behavior is very common.
You see it at all the farms.
It seems as though the animals are either apathetic
or have stereotypical behavior.
Meaning that they run back and forth
and jump up and down in the cage.
There are some that never stop.
I saw a fox that just jumped up and down
and just would never relax.
They never get to rest. They have no place to hide.
They have no stimuli at all,
they step and step on the mesh floor.
They often have many wounds on their feet
but even the animals that look healthy
also look extremely frightened.
When one approaches the animals, looks them in the eyes,
one can recognize that feeling.
We know what it's like to be frustrated and afraid.
A unified, international animal rights movement
has for years worked towards abolishing fur farming.
Resistance towards fur farming is large.
In a survey performed by Opinion,
72% answered that they were opposed to the fur industry.
According to another survey, half replied
that they found it important
to work against the fur industry in Norway.
Official institutions have
also expressed criticism towards the fur industry.
During a lawsuit where the fur industry
was sued by an animal welfare group,
the court concluded in their verdict
that fur farming is unethical.
The Council for Animal Ethics states
that if one places deciding emphasis on animals' well-being,
then today's fur industry is indefensible
and should therefore be abolished.
During work with the Animal Rights Paragraph in the 70's,
the Norwegian parliament considered fur farming indefensible
as long as there were alternative methods
of producing warm clothing.
In 2012 the Norwegian parliament will consider
the abolition of fur farming.
as it was presented in Parliament statement 12, 2002.
Many European countries have already
agreed on bans on fur farming,
or set in place such strict rules
that it is no longer economically viable.
In Sweden and The Netherlands, fox farms are banned.
In Denmark, a similar ban is being discussed.
Great Britain, Ireland, and Austria
have introduced bans on fur farming.
Switzerland has dismantled it's fur farms,
and Italy has introduced laws that in practice
mean the end of mink farms.
Isn't it about time
that Norwegian authorities follows?
"In closing I would like to challenge everyone wondering what fur farming is really about to take a visit to one of the fur farms in your local environment." - Ingebjørg Myrstad-Nilsen. Information Assistant, The Norwegian Fur Breeders' Association
One of the foxes that made the biggest impression on me
and that I don't think I'll ever forget...
...I don't know where to begin.
He had wounds from his head to his tail.
He had open sores on his feet,
an ear that hung from his head
and around his ear and across his entire face,
he was covered in a mess of pus and blood.
When I was there the animals had just been fed.
It made an impression on me.
Someone had been there and seen him,
but still decided to just walk on.
For more information, visit:
www.forbypels.no