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FCUSA PRESS RELEASE, MARCH 6, 1999
Battle of Britain : Can Farmers Count on Democracy?
ON MARCH 5, a bill to ban fur farming in the UK passed its second reading in the House of Commons, raising concerns that democracy will be abused to penalize law-abiding farmers.
The Fur Farming (Prohibition) Bill, introduced on Feb. 23 by Labour MP Maria Eagle, aims to ban from 2002 the keeping of animals solely for fur. Affected would be the country's 13 mink farms. The bill provides for compensation, but flouting the law would incur a fine of up to £20,000 ($32,000).
"The Government has made clear its intentions to end fur farming as soon as practicable," says Junior Agriculture Minister Elliot Morley (Daily Telegraph, Feb. 24).
All is not lost, however. Parliamentary debate has seen vigorous opposition to the bill from some parliamentarians while the powerful National Farmers' Union is also supporting fur farmers. The bill now has to pass a committee stage and a report stage.
Some sectors of the media have also been outspoken in condemning the bill, notably the Daily Telegraph, the country's most widely read broadsheet.
"Why pick on mink?" it asked (Feb. 26). "There is no philosophical or moral difference between the killing of a cow for its leather and the killing of a mink for its pelt. Yet the Government has committed itself to the abolition of the British fur industry, on moral grounds, singling out a small but economically viable sector of our agriculture for Draconian treatment."
The Telegraph continued: "Maria Eagle claims her Bill has the backing of 74 per cent of the British public, as if that somehow justifies coercive legislation. Does this mean that the Government considers itself licensed to shut down any law-abiding business that falls foul of the polls? It is nothing less than abuse of democratic power."
For further information contact: Teresa Platt, Executive Director, Fur Commission USA, 826 Orange Avenue, #506, Coronado, CA 92118 USA, (619) 575-0139, (619) 575-5578/fax, furfarmers@aol.com, www.furcommission.com.
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