Estonia becomes first Baltic country to ban farming of fur

Estonia became the first Baltic country to enact a ban on fur farming week. The law was passed by a majority (55) of the 101 members of the country’s parliament and will take effect in January 2026. As per the bill, existing farms will be permitted to operate until January 2026 under the measure, while new farms will not be permitted to establish after July of this year.

Yoko Alender MEP, one of the draft’s writers, said a five-year timeframe should be adequate for the 11 persons currently employed in the area to change careers and pursue other interests. He added that the industry has been steadily declining, with only 1,000 animals and 11 employees employed at the moment.

Executive director for Humane Society International UK,  Claire Bass, said they rejoice with Estonia as it becomes the first Baltic country to prohibit cruel fur farming, and they thank local animal welfare organisations for their years of working to achieve this goal. This win serves as more proof that caging, electrocuting and gassing animals for the sake of making bobble hats is a dying industry, and they hope that lawmakers in Finland and Poland will be motivated not to fall behind as Europe rejects the cruel and unnecessary fur trade.

He added the UK has imported hundreds of thousands of pounds worth of fur from Estonia in recent years, making them complicit in the caged cruelty, but with the UK government launching a Call for Evidence this week to consider a UK fur import and sales ban, they have a great opportunity to stop bankrolling fur factory farming overseas.

The fur prohibition has received widespread support in Estonia. According to a Kantar Emor poll conducted in September 2020, 75% of Estonians oppose breeding and slaughtering animals like foxes and minks for their fur.

Estonia joins Croatia, the Czech Republic, and a dozen other European countries in enacting similar bans.