On 26th September 2022, a group of Deputies from the centre-right National Liberal Party filed a proposal for legislation in the Romanian parliament calling for a ban on the breeding and killing of animals solely for their fur. Deputy Gheorghe Pecingina initiated the proposal. This political move was accompanied by the animal protection organisation Humane Society International (HIS) unveiling that it uncovered cruel and allegedly illegal practices in Romanian chinchilla farms. The group has now appealed to Romanian Prime Minister Nicolae Ciucă to completely ban fur farming in this country.
HSI submitted to Ciucă a report on its findings from an undercover investigation conducted in 2022, in which investigators looked into 11 chinchilla farms in different parts of Romania. Investigators said some farmers told them they kill the animals by breaking their necks, which would be illegal under European Union law. The group also claim female chinchillas are kept in almost permanent pregnancy cycles, and they are forced to wear a “stiff neck brace or collar” to prevent them from escaping during mating.
Andreea Roseti, Romania’s country director for HIS, said, “This investigation provides shocking evidence of the deprivation these animals are suffering in Romania for the fur industry. Such cruelty brings shame on Romania and we hope that our investigation marks the beginning of the end for the fur industry here…There is no possibility in which the life of animals or anything connected with these animals should be acceptable in fur farming. These animals are only bred for their fur which is used for fashion … this is not a reason to keep (them) in those conditions and to kill them.” Many countries in Europe have totally or partially banned fur farming, the latest being Malta and Latvia. The European Citizens’ Initiative Fur Free Europe is running a petition calling for an EU-wide ban on fur farms and the trading of fur products on the bloc’s market. It’s raised more than 422,000 signatures so far.
