WAV Comment:
It has to be remembered that, Mike Moser was the former CEO of the British Fur Trade Association and worked in the fur industry for over ten years. No doubt, as the voice for the animal abusing fur industry, Moser spoke out about the actions of animal rights activists against the trade, telling everyone ‘how good’ the fur trade was for animal welfare at every opportunity that came his way.
We now kind of welcome (but still have real doubts) that he has finally seen the light and has (with his past involvement in the business) decided to do a complete U turn and allegedly speak out about the abuses suffered by animals the world over on fur farms. If you need any proof of this, we can supply dozens of links; but here is literally one we posted only yesterday:
But we are extremely cautious about this change; Moser was in the highest position in the BFTA and in the past would deny the terrible conditions, and also speak out against expose by the animal rights activists whenever he could. No doubt as CEO of the BFTA he was also paid a half decent salary !
Can a leopard change its spots ? – we would like to think so but as stated, we are very cautious about it all.
This morning (9/9/20) Mark (WAV) and Mark Glover at ‘Respect for Animals’ (Nottingham, England) – http://www.respectforanimals.org/about/ has a good talk about this particular issue especially. Mark Glover originally founded ‘Respect’ and is a totally seasoned campaigner and has dedicated his entire life to exposing and speaking out against the fur trade(s). We very mmuch admire his professionalism and dedication to the cause. We worked with ‘Respect’ by providing lots of evidence regarding the fur farms in Serbia, which have now all been closed by the Serbian fur ban. Much of the work at the Serbian end must be attributed to Slavica; who we sadly lost recently.
Fur Farm ban – Serbia – Links:
Serbia: Victory – Fur Farms Banned from 1/1/2019.
Mark Glover also provided some very encouraging news regarding Poland – see the video on the first link above. He forwarded on some information to us which is hot news today which we wish to share with you –
Poland – Ruling party plans to ban fur farming, use of animals for entertainment
Poland’s ruling party Law and Justice (PiS) plans to file a bill banning fur farming and the use of animals for entertainment purposes. The legislation is to go to the Sejm (lower house) still this week.
Earlier on Tuesday, PiS leader Jarosław Kaczyński said Poland needs new animal protection legislation, and voiced hope for the bill’s support above political divisions. He added that the proposed laws were motivated by humanitarian considerations, and strove to raise animal protection in Poland to western-European standards.
The new laws ban fur farming with the exception of rabbits, and all use of animals for entertainment, including their use in circuses. Also foreseen is the stricter control of animal shelters and the establishment of a council for animal affairs under the agriculture minister.
Mark Glover was involved with UK live exports for a while; and so Mark (WAV) gave him some information on the current situation and the use of the ‘Joline’ vessel by Dutchman Onderwater out of Ramsgate.
It was a great chat and I closed by wishing Mark continued success with Respect and being a huge voice for animals suffering in the fur trade.
Regards Mark (WAV)
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‘I saw animals in cages, stressed and suffering’: Former fur trade boss calls for UK sales ban
Mike Moser, who has visited fur farms across the globe, said sales of fur have “no place in modern society”.
The former CEO of the British Fur Trade Association has called on the prime minister to ban fur sales in the UK.
Mike Moser, who worked in the fur industry for a decade, described it as “anachronistic, barbaric and unnecessary”.
In an exclusive broadcast interview with Sky News, he said: “I visited fur farms across the globe. I saw animals in cages, stressed and suffering…prime minister I’m calling upon you to stop this inconsistency, to stop this cruel practice and to ban the sale of fur – now.”
Fur farming was banned in the UK in 2000 after a consultation found overwhelming public support for the move.
However, the UK still imports foreign-farmed fur including fox, rabbit, mink, racoon and chinchilla, which Mr Moser believes is “inconsistent, ambiguous, and hypocritical”.
He told Sky News: “Fur is not a necessity. It’s for vanity. In 2020, there is no justification for fur – full stop. That an animal is caged for its entire life is wrong.”
He says the fur trade “has no place in modern society” and “is out of place and out of time”.
He claims it was coming home to his pet labrador after visiting fur farms overseas that made him increasingly question the ethics of keeping foxes and raccoon dogs in wire cages for their entire lives.
He added: “It’s a big U-turn for me, but it’s OK to change your mind and I would implore people who are considering buying fur to change their minds.”
Mr Moser resigned from his role as chief executive of the British Fur Trade Association after he gave evidence at a parliamentary inquiry launched due to a Sky News investigation into the mis-selling of real fur as fake.
We found major high street stores were advertising products as “faux” fur when in reality they were rabbit, mink, fox, raccoon dog, and most consistent with cat.
After Sky News presented the findings in parliament, the select committee concluded retailers were failing consumers and recommended a public consultation on a fur ban should take place.
Mr Moser told Sky News: “As soon as the committee report was published, I resigned. I resigned from the fur trade because I could no longer in all good faith, and with a good conscience, defend what I believe to be indefensible.
“I no longer believed it possible to raise animals in cages and maintain good welfare. I no longer believe in the right of the industry to exist when its product, the fur is produced solely for vanity.”
During his 10 years working for the fur industry, Mr Moser visited farms on five continents and found the confined conditions “upsetting”.
He told Sky News: “The animals on the fur farms are born in cages, and they lead their short lives in the cages. They never know what it’s like to run free. The cages are mesh cages.
“They have to be so that the faeces of the animals can fall through the floor. So in the case of the mink and young fox cubs…their feet are too small to walk on the mesh and quite often they fall through the floor.
“Both these animals, particularly the mink, have padded feet, walking on these metal grids causes sores. It must be immensely uncomfortable.”
He was also distressed by what he felt were high density farm conditions.
“If you take foxes in particular, the cages are barely larger than the animal,” he said. “Now the welfare regulations in Europe, which are held to be gold standard by the industry were published in 1999, they haven’t changed for 21 years.
“In that time selective breeding by fur farmers has increased the size of animals. So simply by that measure alone, those cages are too small.”
When challenged by Sky News over whether it should be left to consumers to decide whether they purchase fur, an argument Mr Moser had himself regularly used, he responded that “there’s lots of decisions governments take for the greater good”.
In his decade working in the fur industry, footage sometimes emerged of alleged animal cruelty at farms.
“Farmers would come back and explain that these were out of context or not on regulated farms or have been set up by the animal rights extremists,” Mr Moser said.
“If you can’t stop these practices, even on one or two farms, then it’s the system itself that’s wrong. There’s no doubt from the footage that we’ve seen over the years that there are many animals in great distress on many fur farms.”
Mr Moser is now working alongside the Humane Society International charity to campaign for a ban on fur.
Claire Bass, HSI executive director, told Sky News: “Mike spent 10 years on the inside of the fur trade, so his verdict that this is an inherently and unacceptably cruel business is a pretty damning indictment.
“I fully respect Mike’s change of heart, and he now has an important and powerful message for the UK government – if someone like him with a decade’s experience inside the fur industry says it’s right to ban fur sales, then it’s time to take action and end the suffering.”
Labour pledged to stop fur imports in 2018 but the Conservatives are unlikely to review this for the time being.
Responding to a written parliamentary question, environment minister Victoria Prentis said last week: “During the transition period, it is not possible to introduce restrictions relating to the fur trade.
“Once our future relationship with the EU has been established there will be an opportunity for the government to consider further steps it could take in relation to fur sales”.
Mr Moser’s high profile U-turn follows that of multiple designers – who have pledged fur-free policies including Prada, Gucci, Armani, Versace, Michael Kors, Jimmy Choo, DKNY, and Burberry.
Want the proof ?
Then watch the video of an undercover investigation by a person who worked at one of the worlds largest mink facilities in Poland.
Video link here:
From ‘Respect for Animals’ – Nottingham England.
Against the Fur Trade.
Terrible animal suffering revealed on huge Polish fur farm
“This is a shocking investigation. The suffering of these animals can scarcely be imagined.
I personally know what impact seeing these atrocities first hand and close up can have.
As the undercover activist says in the video, some of the things he has seen will live with him forever.
I still live with some of what I saw in UK fur farms more than 20 years ago and it is not easy, but is certainly one of the things that has driven me on to work to end this disgusting industry.”
Mark Glover, Respect for Animals
Respect for Animals’ colleagues at the Fur Free Alliance, Otwarte Klatki, have today released the results of a two-month long investigation using an activist as an undercover farm employee.
The farm in Goreczki is potentially the biggest mink farm in the world, with around 500,000 animals kept in small cages.
The worker documented shocking cases of cannibalism, open wounds and untreated sick animals. He also recorded the reality of working conditions on fur farms: low wages, little training and lack of employment rights. This is of real importance because the fur trade is currently trying to reimage itself as sustainable and ethical. These claims are lies and this investigation is further evidence of the moral bankruptcy of the fur industry.
The undercover activist, called Yevhen, used a phone and hidden camera to document the distressing conditions on the mink farm.
Yevhen agreed to openly speak on camera about his experiences. The activist describes dead mink found every day in cages, and the shocking “hospital” – supposedly for sick animals, but where they did not receive veterinary help, instead simply killed by gassing or dying untreated and in agony.
This is the reality of industrial fur factory farming. This is why fur farming must be banned.
Take action! Add your name to this letter to the Polish Embassy, calling for fur farming to be banned:
http://www.123formbuilder.com/form-5630432/poland-ban-fur-farming
| You can read our full coverage of this vital investigation here: |
Regards Mark (WAV SAV)
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Serbian Animals Voice (SAV) 