Finnish activists spread images of foxes on farms so that the European Union bans their trade

A red fox frantically scratches the wires of its small cage. An arctic fox wanders lazily with a bloody tail. Other furry creatures, some with tears in their eyes, stare into a light on an activist’s video camera.

Finnish advocacy group Oikeutta Elaimille (justice for animals) and Humane Society International have released images taken of a “undercover investigation” at three fur farms in western Finland in late October to highlight the behind-the-scenes realities of the trade.

The activists’ raid occurred while the European Unionwhich counts Finland as a member, awaits advice in March from the EU agency that oversees the animal welfare before deciding in March 2026 whether it should propose a complete ban on fur farming.

FIFUR, a group of Finnish fur farmers, criticized the “covert filming” of farms, accusing intruders of “violating strict biosecurity requirements” on farms where operations are “strictly controlled by national laws and regulations” and where Veterinarians monitor animal welfare.

Some viewers might become distressed by the conditions of the cute-looking creatures; Others might wonder what the big deal is: The industry is, at least for now, legal and regulated.

Aside from the captivity of animals in small cages, sometimes with more than one in a single cage, none of the images show abuse in progress. No explanation was given for the bright red blood in what looked like an open wound and exposed bone in the tail area of ​​a single arctic fox.

“These images and these intrusions… create a false image of normal animal welfare and animal husbandry on farms,” said FIFUR spokesperson Olli-Pekka Nissinen, adding that his group believes the initiative to ban fur farming will be rejected.

The breeders’ group said the fur sector has among the highest welfare standards of any form of animal husbandry, and Nissinen suggested farmers have little incentive to mistreat them. “Animal welfare is first reflected in the fur of the animals and it is very important for farmers to take care of the animals so that they can have a decent income.”

FIFUR says the majority of its 442 member farms, as of December last year, are run by family businesses, and almost all of the farms are in the Ostrobothnia region along the Baltic Sea. Finland is the world’s largest producer of certified fox fur, the industry group said.

Oikeutta Eläimille spokesperson Kristo Muurimaa says the operation involved entering the farms to observe and document the conditions in which the animals are kept and that the photos were taken in compliance with Finnish law.

Neither party has announced plans for any legal action.

“Fur has been used by people for a long time, since the Stone Age basically,” Muurimaa said. “However, a practice where animals are kept in very small, sterile cages is not that old. “It is a product of modern times where animals are seen only as products.”

“This type of treatment of animals does not belong to this era. “Times have moved on and now is the time to leave this type of cruelty behind,” he added. “No one needs fur in modern times. The fur is primarily used as a status symbol by the wealthy elite in countries such as China and Russia.”

According to the most recent figures, the 27 EU countries estimate that there are some 1,000 fur farms in the bloc with some 7.7 million animals, including mink, foxes and raccoon dogs.

In neighboring Switzerland, which is not a member of the EU, a three-month public consultation on a government proposal to ban the import and sale of furs from the “mistreatment” of animals concluded last month. The measure would allow authorities to confiscate these skins.

Activists want the Swiss government to go further, seeking a broader definition of “mistreatment” and a broader range of fur farms affected. The issue, currently low on the full referendum calendar of Swisscould be put to a public vote by the end of 2026 at the earliest.

The International Humane Society, in a statement last month, said tens of millions of animals suffer and die each year in the global fur trade and that “the vast majority of animals slaughtered for their fur are kept in sterile battery cages on fur farms.”

Finland, the advocacy group said, is one of the last European countries where farming such animals for their fur remains legal, and it pointed to several retail brands that use Finnish fox fur.

China is the world’s largest export market for furs, followed by South Korea and the Western European-North American market, said FIFUR, which has hundreds of farms in Finland as members.

In Europe, starting in 2023, Poland and Greece were the largest producers, almost exclusively of mink, while Finland is third, according to an industry association report this year.

The bird flu and coronavirus outbreaks hit the fur industry hard, notably in Denmark, since 2020, but the trend line in supply has been declining for many years.

The FIFUR report showed mink pelt supply volumes plummeted by about three-quarters since 2010, to 12,285 last year, a similar percentage decline to that of mink pelts, which numbered 2,440 in 2023.