‘Ban Fur Farms BC’ Draws Attention to Public Health Risks and Calls for Provincial Fur Farm Ban
North Vancouver, BC – The Spring Leaders Reception with Premier David Eby was disrupted by Ban Fur Farms BC (BFFBC) on Tuesday, April 11, at The Polygon Gallery in North Vancouver. The reception, which was hosted by MLA Bowinn Ma, featured cocktails, art, and an unexpected guest – a fox, which was revealed to be an activist wearing a fox mascot head. The activist proceeded to throw confetti around the room, which had the text “fur farms spread avian flu” written on it, calling attention to the role of fur farms in disease transmission and their threat to public health.
The disruption did not end there, as outside the gallery stood around half a dozen people wearing bio hazard suits and masks, holding signs that read “fur farms spread avian flu.” BFFBC, a group spearheading a campaign to draw attention to the detrimental effects of the fur farm industry in BC, organized the disruption.
Following several COVID-19 outbreaks on mink fur farms in BC during the pandemic, BFFBC had been pressuring the BC government to implement a provincial fur farm ban. In November 2021, the Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Health announced that due to public health concerns, a mink fur farm phase-out would be happening in British Columbia, a process which concluded this year on April 1st.
Zoe Peled, co-founder of BFFBC, revealed that “despite knowing the risks of fur farms during the pandemic, the Ministry of Agriculture was considering establishing two new fur farms in Prince George and Langley.” Peled explained that the Langley facility in discussion is a fox fur farm. The group has been informed by a Guelph University virologist that “the first case of avian flu has been reported in a fox,” highlighting the risks of disease transmission associated with fur farms. Peled stated that “while the government has taken measures to mitigate the current pandemic, by banning mink farming, fur farms remain catastrophic breeding grounds for other diseases.”
Currently, there is one active chinchilla fur farm in British Columbia, and BFFBC’s main concern lies within the lack of provincial legislation for the industry to pivot to other fur farms outside of mink. “While all the mink fur farms in BC are now empty, we worry that those farms will simply transition to another common species of fur-farmed animal, such as fox, chinchilla, or raccoon,” said Amy Soranno, another co-founder of BFFBC. She explained that the group is still campaigning for the Ministry of Agriculture to institute a “complete” fur farm ban, in order to “combat the climate crisis and adequately address public health threats, such as avian influenza and other future viruses.”
The Spring Leaders Reception concluded with several discussions outside between the activist group and event attendees, which BFFBC said included positive words of support for a fur farm ban.
About Ban Fur Farms BC (BFFBC): BFFBC is a grassroots organization that aims to end fur farming in British Columbia. They are campaigning for the Ministry of Agriculture to institute a ban on all fur farming in BC. More information is available on their Instagram @banfurfarmsbc, for an interview contact Zoe Peled at 604-729-8627 or banfurfarmsbc@gmail.com.
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Ban Fur Farms British Columbia
BFFBC
i. @banfurfarmsbc
t. @banfurfarmsbc
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