UKRAINE – On February 7, 36 Members of Parliament introduced a bill to ban fur farming in Ukraine. The bill is initiated by MP Andriy Pomazanov with support of Fur Free Alliance member organisation Unique Planet.

The bill, that has now been registered in the Verkhovna Rada (the Ukrainian Parliament), introduces changes to legislation to ensure humane treatment of animals and environmental protection. If the bill passes, it will no longer be legal to keep, breed and kill animals for fur in Ukraine, starting January 1, 2025.

Pavlo Vyshebaba, the coordinator of HutroOFF, a campaign to ban fur farming in Ukraine launched by NGO Unique Planet, says:

“The creation and introduction of this bill have been made possible after our petition to ban fur farming gained a record number of votes on the Parliament website. 27 500 Ukrainians have supported us.”

The bill is the result of joined efforts by the NGO Unique Planet and members of various parliamentary fractions headed by MP Andriy Pomazanov. Pomazanov says:

“Fur farms harm the environment, cause climate change and are an example of needless animal cruelty. Fur farming bans in many European countries have caused a move of this business to Ukraine, which we must stop.”

Besides a ban on fur farming, the bill introduces changes to the Criminal Code and imposes 2–5 years in prison for cruel treatment of animals used for the production of fur.

Three Ukrainian Fur Free Alliance member organisations – UAnimals, Unique Planet and Open Cages Ukraine – are joining forces in their call for legislation against fur farming in Ukraine. The anti-fur campaign HutroOFF, initiated by Unique Planet, will continue to seek support from MPs for the proposed bill and nationwide protests are planned by UAnimals, at the end of February, to show the public support for a Ukrainian fur farming ban.

After Ireland, Poland, Estonia and Lithuania, Ukraine is the fifth country that has recently introduced a bill to make the cruel practice of fur farming illegal. Within the past couple of years, countries as Germany, Norway, Czech Republic and Belgium, have all decided to join the growing number of countries that are legislating against fur farming.