PRAGUE/BRUSSELS, 31 MARCH 2015 – The Czech Minister of Agriculture, Marian Jurečka, received an open letter today from the international coalitions Eurogroup for Animals and Fur Free Alliance, which bring together 72 animal welfare organisations from all over the world. The associations call upon the minister to adopt a ban on the breeding of animals for fur in the Czech Republic.

A wave of protests and solidarity with animals was raised at the end of March, after the organisation OBRAZ published new footage from eight Czech fur farms. Videos show the alarming conditions in fur farms in the Czech Republic – miserable, sick and stressed mink and foxes.

Videos showing cruelty to animals on fur farms have been published several times by Svoboda zvířat, most recently in 2012. Lucie Moravcová, Chair of Svoboda zvířat:

‘History is repeating itself. We have brought evidence of the abuse of so-called fur animals on Czech farms several times. The authorities’ answers are always the same – legislation has been complied with. However, therein lies the problem. We consider it to be absolutely insufficient. There is systematic animal abuse on fur farms, which is why the law needs changing to abolish these farms, as has already happened in many other European countries including Great Britain or Austria.’ 

 

‘Following the footage we published in 2012 the Ministry of Agriculture and the State Veterinary Administration promised that they would pay more attention to this sensitive topic and that they would tighten up farm inspections. Clearly, none of this has happened.’

Statements from the authorities from 2012 can be found here (Czech language only).

Eurogroup for Animals, the leading animal welfare organization at EU level, and the Fur Free Alliance, an international coalition of animal protection organizations worldwide, react against fur farming in the Czech Republic.

Joh Vinding, Chair of the Fur Free Alliance, and Reineke Hameleers, Director for Eurogroup for Animals, writes in a letter to Minister Jurečka:

‘We have been monitoring the situation on Czech fur farms during the last few years as worrisome footage showing serious animal welfare problems has been released. We urge you to ban or phase out fur farming in the Czech Republic.’

A statement from the State Veterinary Administration on the current footage from Czech farms can be found on http://eagri.cz/public/web/svs/tiskovy-servis/tiskove-zpravy/x2015_vysledky-mimoradne-kontroly-nepotvrdily.html (Czech language).

‘As in previous years, it refers only to compliance with the applicable legislation,”; comments Moravcová. Representatives of Svoboda zvířat have approached the Minister of Agriculture with a request for a meeting. Moravcová states:

‘We are still awaiting a response from the Minister. We would like to discuss the alarming situation on Czech farms with him and a possible solution in the form of legislative changes.’

The letter that was sent by the Fur Free Alliance and Eurogroup for Animals can be read here.