義大利參議院預算委員會在2021年底，投票通過了一項預算法修正案，將在六個月內關閉國內最後10家貂皮養殖場，並在全國永久禁止皮草養殖。
義大利將於今年中關閉皮草養殖場
義大利參議院預算委員會批准的措施包括：
- 立即禁止養殖鼬類（mink）[1]、狐狸、浣熊和絨鼠等毛皮動物，並在2022年6月30日之前關閉義大利所有營運中的皮草養殖場。
- 由農業部基金於2022年支付養殖農民補償金，總額為300萬歐元（約新台幣9300萬元）。
儘管該修正案還需要全體議會的最終批准，但預計會順利通過。屆時，義大利將成為歐洲第16個禁止皮草養殖的國家。目前有許多義大利時尚品牌已經不再使用皮草，包括Armani、Gucci、Prada、Valentino和Versace。
預算委員會在對此議案投票之前，曾事先與動物保護組織歐洲國際人道協會（Humane Society International/Europe）商談。該組織在最近的報告「義大利鼬類養殖分布和未來前景」中，提出關閉皮草養殖場，並以符合人道和永續精神的企業取而代之的實務策略。
考量到皮草養殖所涉及的動物虐待與人畜共通傳染病帶來的公衛風險，歐洲國際人道協會提出養殖場轉型方案，盼能終結皮草養殖。他們的主張也獲得義大利議員布蘭比亞（Michela Vittoria Brambilla）的支持，她發起了實施轉型的政治行動、動員公共資金，最後由參議員德佩提斯（Loredana De Petris）正式提出修正案。
義大利國際人道協會負責人普魯達（Martina Pluda）說：「這是義大利動物保護的歷史性勝利。而在瓦解這個殘酷而危險的產業上，義大利國際人道協會的皮草養殖業轉型方案，非常榮幸地發揮了重要作用。在義大利，關閉和禁止皮草養殖場有非常明確的經濟、環境、公衛以及動物福利理由。」
身兼義大利保護動物與環境聯盟主席的布蘭比亞說：「經過30年的動物權抗爭，這次終於獲致勝利。議會終於要投票終結這僅為了利益和虛榮而折磨動物的產業。遲到總比不到好，義大利會是第20個禁止皮草養殖的歐洲國家。」
義大利時裝品牌Prada從2020年春夏女裝系列開始停止使用皮草。藝術總監Miuccia Prada表示：「Prada集團致力於創新和履行社會責任，我們的無皮草政策正是其中一項具體行動。專注於探索創新原料，使公司能夠持續拓展創意設計的邊界，同時滿足消費者對道德產品的需求。」
法國終止皮草養殖
除了義大利，皮草養殖在法國已成為過去式。2021年11月，法國參議院以壓倒性多數投票通過，終止野生動物皮草養殖。該禁令立即生效，因此僅存的兩個法國皮草養殖場也即將關閉。
動保組織One Voice的成員阿諾（Muriel Arnal）說：「法國只剩下兩間貂皮養殖場。但是，正如我們所要求的，這項禁令所規範的物種，已擴大到所有為了皮草而飼養的野生動物。我們樂見這重要的一步，並希望它能夠激勵尚未決定禁止剝削狐狸、鼬類和絨鼠的國家。」
One Voice近年的幾項調查，揭露了法國皮草養殖場飼養動物的殘酷環境。2017年、2019年和2020年，該組織錄下的臥底影像顯示出動物如何被殘忍對待。
公眾的反對促使法國政府做出改變，於去年提出一項為期五年、逐步禁止貂皮生產的禁令。
One Voice和零皮草聯盟（Fur Free Alliance）合作，敦促法國政府立即採取行動，關閉法國剩餘的皮草養殖場，最終立法成功。
零皮草聯盟主席凡丁（Joh Vinding）說：「全世界終結皮草養殖的腳步前所未有地迫切，這個產業不僅為了沒有真實需求的產品而虐待動物，還成為COVID-19等傳染病爆發的溫床。」
過去五年間，各界對動物福利的高度關注，已促使八個國家透過立法，終結皮草養殖場的虐待動物行為。目前，拉脫維亞、立陶宛、西班牙、烏克蘭和保加利亞正在考慮禁止皮草養殖。
2021年，以色列成為全世界第一個禁止銷售真皮草的國家。在美國，繼舊金山、柏克萊、洛杉磯和西好萊塢頒布類似禁令之後，加州於2019年成為第一個禁止銷售皮草的州。
註釋
[1] mink是水鼬屬（Neovison）和鼬屬（Mustela）哺乳類動物的通稱。這兩個屬中，中文名採用鼬結尾的物種較多，故以鼬類作為中文翻譯。另，在提到皮草時，由於台灣較常稱「貂皮」，少用「鼬皮」，故選用前者。（資料來源：本文審校、特有生物研究保育中心助理研究員林大利）
The Budget Committee of the Italy’s Senate today voted to approve an amendment to the budget law which will see the country’s 10 remaining mink fur farms closed within six months and a permanent ban on fur farming throughout Italy.
The approved measure includes:
• An immediate ban on breeding of fur-bearing animals including mink, foxes, raccoon dogs and chinchillas, and the closure of all active fur farms in Italy by June 30, 2022.
• Compensation for farmers, covered by a fund from the Ministry of Agriculture for a total of €3 million (US$3.4 million) in 2022.
Although the decision requires final approval by the full Parliament, this is expected to go through. When it does, Italy will become the 16th country in Europe to ban fur farming. Many Italian designers have already gone fur-free including Armani, GUCCI, Prada, Valentino, and Versace.
The committee vote follows discussions with animal protection organization Humane Society International/Europe which presented practical, strategic solutions to close and convert fur farms into alternative, humane and sustainable businesses in its recent report, “Mink breeding in Italy: Mapping and future perspectives.” (In Italian)
Humane Society International/Europe’s fur farm conversion proposal, which sought an end to fur farming due to animal cruelty and public health risks from zoonotic diseases, was endorsed by Italian Member of Parliament Michela Vittoria Brambilla, who launched the political action to implement the conversion strategy with existing public funds, and Senator Loredana De Petris who formally submitted the amendment.
Martina Pluda, director of Humane Society International in Italy, said, “This is an historic victory for animal protection in Italy, and HSI/Europe is immensely proud that our fur farm conversion strategy has played a central role in dismantling this cruel and dangerous industry in our country. There are very clear economic, environmental, public health and of course animal welfare reasons to close and ban fur farms.”
Michela Vittoria Brambilla, president of the Parliamentary Intergroup for Animal Rights and of the Italian League for the Defense of Animals and the Environment, commented on the vote, “In 30 years of animal rights battle this is the best victory. Finally, a parliamentary vote sanctions the end of unspeakable suffering inflicted on animals only in the name of profit and vanity. Italy is the 20th European country to introduce a ban or severe restriction on fur farming: better late than never.”
The Italian fashion house Prada stopped using fur as of its spring/summer 2020 women’s collections. Artistic Director Miuccia Prada said, “The Prada Group is committed to innovation and social responsibility, and our fur-free policy is an extension of that engagement. Focusing on innovative materials will allow the company to explore new boundaries of creative design, while meeting the demand for ethical products.”
France Quits Fur Farming
Fur farming is now a thing of the past in France. In November, the French Senate voted by an overwhelming majority in favor of legislation to end the farming of wild animals for their fur. The ban went into immediate effect and will see the two remaining French mink fur farms shut down.
Muriel Arnal from the activist nonprofit One Voice says, “There are only two mink farms left in France. But, as we requested, this ban has been expanded to all wild animals being bred for their fur. We welcome this important step forward and hope that it will inspire the countries that have not yet taken the decision to ban the exploitation of foxes, minks, chinchillas.”
A number of recent investigations by One Voice laid bare the cruel conditions under which animals were kept on French fur farms. The undercover footage, recorded in 2017, 2019 and in 2020, revealed animal suffering: mink with physical injuries kept in appalling conditions.
Public opposition prompted the French government last year to propose a ban on mink fur production with a phaseout period of five years.
Together with One Voice, the Fur Free Alliance urged the French government to take immediate action and shut down France’s last remaining fur farms, and that is now law. One Voice marks the celebration of this move by NGOs around the world and wants other countries to follow suit.
Joh Vinding, chairman of the Fur Free Alliance, said, “There has never been a more urgent need to end the practice of fur farming worldwide, an industry that not only treats animals inhumanely for a product no one needs, but has also been shown to be a breeding ground for outbreaks of infectious diseases such as COVID-19.”
In the past five years alone, animal welfare concerns have led eight countries to adopt legislation to end the animal cruelty on fur farms. Discussions on the prohibition of fur farming are currently being considered in Latvia, Lithuania, Spain, Ukraine and Bulgaria.
In 2021 Israel became the world’s first country to ban sales of real fur. In the United States, California became the first state to ban the sale of fur in 2019 after similar bans in San Francisco, Berkeley, Los Angeles, and West Hollywood.
※ 全文及圖片詳見：ENS
