5 AUGUST 2017, PRAGUE – On August 1, the President of the Czech Republic, Miloš Zeman, signed the amendment of the animal protection law that will make an end to fur farming. The ban on fur farming has now been adopted definitely, and will become effective on the first day of the second calendar month following its publication.

The amendment bans fur farming in the Czech Republic as of the 31st of January 2019 and will provide compensation to farmers to support their long-term obligations. Despite the heavy debate in both the Chamber of Deputies and in the Senate, the amendment was adopted nearly unanimously – 132 votes in favor and 9 against in the Chamber of Deputies in June and 39 votes in favor and 3 against by the Senate in July. In both cases, amendment proposals were rejected that suggested the adoption of WelFur certificates, an extension of the transition period or increasing the compensations provided to farmers.

Ms. Lucie Hemrová of Svoboda zvířat (Freedom for Animals):

“We would like to thank the Czech legislator for having lent an ear to the voice of the public, who sees killing of animals for purposes of fashion as an unethical relic of the past. This is a true milestone in the history of protection of animals, a victory of compassion towards other living creatures, who feel pain and who suffer. We are thrilled with the news!”

Nine farms in the Czech Republic, keeping approximately 20 000 mink and foxes in total, will be affected by the ban. Animals on fur farms are kept in poor conditions and killed cruelly by electrocution or suffocation by exhaust gas. Moreover, the adoption of the amendment banning fur farming is in line with public opinion – according to an opinion poll carried out in the spring this year by the Focus agency, 83 % of Czechs are in favour of the ban of fur farming.