Finland

Finnish Fur Farming

The number of fur farms in Finland has been in decline since the mid-1980s when there were over 6000. Owing to deterioration in the fur trade the amount of farms fell to around 2000 by 1995 and today the number remaining is under 1000.


The Finnish Fur Breeders’ Association (STKL) represents the Finnish Fur dealers belonging to the 7 local fur traders’ organizations and the Finnish Fur Sales company handles their marketing; selling the bulk amount of furs at auctions at the Fur Center in Vantaa four times a year. Finland exports 98% of all fur produced mainly to Russia, China, Italy, Greece and South Korea.

The Finnish fur industry earns about 300,000,000 to 700,000,000 Euros.

There is raising awareness of the agonizing suffering and horrifying cruelty that takes place on ‘fur farms’ exposing the fact that these sentient animals who still retain the same wild instinct for freedom and their natural life are held captive in small wire cages.

In nature foxes dig dens and have territory that extends to up to several hectares, while the mink’s natural environment is always near water. Fox cages are only 0.8 m2, and a mink cage is only 0.25 m2. The cages are filthy and it is typical that the animals are left to suffer from disease and infectious wounds. Often farms of about 10,000 animals are run as a family business; at times having only 2 people working regularly to care for the animals.

The animals are generally killed at the age of 7 months; minks are killed with carbon dioxide gas and foxes and raccoon dogs by anal electrocution.


Finnish animal right activists led by Animalia are calling for a ban on fur farms in Finland. They are demanding that Finland join the many European countries that have already banned fur farming or placed strict legal limitations on them. They state the fact that fur farming is unsustainable for the animals involved in addition to being a danger to the environment and unethical.

Special Thanks to: :Oikeutta eläimille - Fur farming in Finland