POLAND – 10 JULY 2015 – Polish member organization of the Fur Free Alliance, Otwarte Klatki, reports about strong public resistance among the local community to plans for the building of mink farms in Karśnice and Żegrówek. The local residents are worried about the environmental damage, the smell caused by the farms, minks that might escape and about the animal suffering caused by fur farming.

“This farm will only bring a few jobs but it will ruin the lives of hundreds”, says Aleksandra Ratajczak-Pastyka, living in Karśnice and one of the organizers of the local protests.

Paweł Rawicki, Vicepresident of Polish animal advocacy organization, and Fur Free Alliance member, Otwarte Klatki says: “Wherever a mink farm is planned in Poland, people don’t want it and protest against it. What is common for these investments is that they are ignoring the views of the local communities, the environmental damage and the welfare of the animals”.

There are almost 800 fur farms in Poland. According to Otwarte Klatki’s reports there were about 70 protest against new mink farms during last three years.

According to a recent opinion poll, 55 % of the Polish citizens are of the opininion that the breeding of foxes, raccoon dogs and minks for fur should be banned. In the age group 18-35 years old, 70 % supports a ban on fur farming (Instytut Badań Rynkowych i Społecznych (IBRiS) Homo Homini/Otwarte Klatki, 2014).