UK Compensation

FUR COMMISSION USA PRESS RELEASE, MARCH 14, 2003

Court Rules for English Fur Farmers in Compensation Battle

A judge has denounced a compensation scheme for mink farmers forced out of business by the British Labour government as "irrational, arbitrary and a breach of their human rights," in the words of the London Times (Mar. 14). All fur farming in England and Wales came to an end on Jan. 1 under the Fur Farming (Prohibition) Act.

The Times called the Mar. 13 High Court ruling "a significant victory" for ten farmers who are fighting for £15 million in compensation. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs had offered just £5 million.

Lawyers representing the farmers also argued that methods used by the government to calculate compensation were so arbitrary that some would receive 30% of the value of their businesses while others would receive 70%.

The judge also refused the Department for Environment the right of appeal and ordered it to pay the £50,000 costs.

While the judgement was good news for the fur farmers, it also "has serious implications for plans [by the government] to ban hare-coursing and deer hunting and introduce registered foxhunting," reported the Times. Rural Affairs Minister Alun Michael has so far resisted any scheme to compensate people who would lose their jobs from a hunting ban.

Press coverage:

Mink Farmers in Pay-Out Victory, The Journal (Newcastle), Mar. 14, 2003. (Outside link)

A Domino Too Far; UK Government Tells Animal Rightists "Enough Is Enough" FCUSA commentary on fur farming ban, fox hunting, and campaign against Huntingdon Life Sciences, Apr. 12, 2001.

Labour's 1 Million Pound "Gift" Costs Taxpayers 10 Times More to Ban Fur Farming British Fur Trade Association press release, Nov. 20, 2000.

UK Government Still Fuzzy on Morals, Ethics FCUSA commentary on bill to ban fur farming, June 13, 2000. (HTML or PDF)

New Consumer Research Questions UK Government Move to Ban Fur Farming British Fur Trade Association press release, May 30, 2000.

Attempt to Ban Fur Farming May Go to European Court From The Financial Times (London), reproduced with permission, May 15, 2000.

British Fur Ban "Morally and Scientifically Unjustified" Says New Economic 'Think Tank' Report International Fur Trade Federation press release, May 27, 2000.

British Government on Misplaced Moral Crusade FCUSA commentary on bill to ban fur farming, Jan. 12, 2000.

For further information contact: Teresa Platt, Executive Director, Fur Commission USA, PMB 506, 826 Orange Avenue, Coronado, CA 92118-2698 USA, (619) 575-0139, (619) 272-2467/fax, furfarmers@aol.com, www.furcommission.com. See also Teresa's blog and Facebook.

To take a cyber-tour of a fur farm, visit FCUSA's Fur on Film.

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