SARAJEVO, 5  APRIL 2019 – Today, international experts and lawmakers gather in the Bosnian Parliament for the opening of the Make Fur History exhibition. The exhibition, that was first launched in the European Parliament in 2018, addresses the adverse effects of fur production on animal welfare and the environment, and the urgency for the Bosnian ban on fur farming to go into effect sooner rather than later.

Opening speakers of the event include Marianne Thieme, member of the Dutch Parliament and leader of the Party for the Animals, Damir Arnaut, Bosnian MP and host of the event, Serbian Doctor of Sciences Aleksandar Knežević, and Richard Bissett, Member of the Fur Free Alliance board.

The Make Fur History exhibition, an initiative of the Fur Free Alliance, aims to inform Bosnian decision makers on the scientific evidence of the negative impact of fur farming on animals, nature and local communities and shows the wide public support and global shift to end fur farming.

In late 2017, the Bosnian government voted for a last-minute postponement of the fur farming ban, that was supposed to end fur production in 2018, for another 10 years. Animal advocates around the globe have urged the Bosnian government to stay committed and make an end to the widely condemned industry.

MP Arnaut says:

“The Parliament’s decision to postpone enforcement of the ban was not just ridiculous, but illegal too. Fur farms in Bosnia were illegal after the ban entered into force and in January 2018, but in February same year, they were legalized. The ban has to be restored.”

Bissett adds:

“Globally, momentum is with the anti-fur movement, and we have ethics and science on our side. This week, we’re seeing how the brilliant and vital work of campaigners in Bosnia–Herzegovina is paying off. The Make Fur History exhibition allows us to reveal the reality on fur factory farms, to present the facts about the animals bred and killed for their fur and to show why the fur industry belongs in the past.”

MP Thieme:

“The Dutch Fur Farming prohibition act was passed in January 2013 with a phase out period of ten years. The fur farmers went to court and after that they appealed to the European Court of Human Rights. The key legal question was; can a government strongly regulate property? The court confirmed this with a loud and clear yes. The ban is irrevocable and fully in force. There is no legal reason at all for the Bosnian parliament to postpone their fur farming ban.”

All throughout Europe governments are making significant steps to end fur farming. In the past year alone, Belgium, Luxembourg and Norway – once the world’s top fur producer- voted to ban fur production, and legislation against fur farming was introduced in Ireland, Estonia, and Lithuania.

With the 2009 Act, Bosnia and Herzegovina was part of the forefront of a Europe that is making an end to this barbaric industry. The extension of the phase-out period until 2028 is not in line with public opinion and the worldwide trend towards fur-free policies. The world continues to look at the Bosnian government to fulfill its commitment and put the cruel practice of fur farming to the dustbin of history

The Make Fur History event takes place on April 5th from 10:00 till 17:00. View the invitation here.