Open letter to Lars Peder Brekk ...

SHUT THEM DOWN.

I seriously don't know why we're even having the debate.

FYI for the non-Norwegians among us: Lars Peder Brekk is our Secretary of the Department of Agriculture, and 'they' are the ... I think 330 fur farmers in this country. Last week, Dagsrevyen went public with a series of images taken by animal rights activists - who I normally have little to no respect for, but this time it seems they've done something worthwhile - during their illicit visits to 45 fur farms across the country. (Here's hoping that the pictures and videos really are from a number of farms and not just one like last time.) This is not the first time conditions like these have been documented. The industry have been told time and again to get their act together, but nothing seems to happen. This is quite awkward for the government - and during the election campaign too!! >:-) - since the FA presented a report not too long ago saying that basically everything was fine in the fur industry in this country. Obviously not true by a long shot. You can see the Dagsrevyen report online here, but I warn you, there are some very strong images. Like, animals with legs chewed off and the wounds left untended. I'm not kidding.

Some articles, in Norwegian.

The debate now is about what should be done. Brekk says that the industry is teetering on a knife's edge now, this is their very last chance, etc. Activists and also some politicians - and, thankfully, the Veterinarians' Association - want to just shut it all down, the whole industry. You already know where I stand.

IMO the whole debate is misguided. What we're discussing now is how the farms should be set up in order for the animals to be treated ethically, what kind of guidelines the authorities should provide, etc. I don't understand why we're discussing these details. What the debate should be about is something far more fundamental - whether or not it is in fact possible at all to run fur farms in a way that does not automatically entail unacceptable levels of pain and stress for these animals.

I obviously believe that this is not possible. I firmly believe that this industry in and of itself is unethical, that it cannot possibly be run in a way that makes it ethical.

I also believe that developments on this issue in Italy provide all necessary evidence to support my belief.

I say Brekk should do not only what he's threatening - withdraw all financial support from the fur farm industry - but the government of which he is part should also make this disgusting excuse for a business illegal. The sooner the better. Letting the industry die on its own would be a good thing, but killing it swiftly would be even better. Although a death by slow torture is obviously what these so-called farmers understand best. >:-(

I am deeply disgusted by the fact that my tax money is being used to fund this systemic and entirely unnecessary cruelty to animals. If you are too, contact your MP or, even better, Secretary Brekk himself. He can be contacted via email at postmottak@lmd.dep.no or by phone at 22 24 91 00.

And as for the fur farmers, they should be ashamed of themselves. I don't know how they have the stomach to even try to argue their case. They basically have no arguments whatsoever. The only one that holds even a drop of water is that the industry provides jobs in rural areas. But seriously, so what? What kind of logic is that? Should the state have spent our tax money all these years to keep the cannonball factories in business, because they provided jobs in rural areas?

Fuck that shit. SHUT THEM DOWN.