There comes an end to the pelsdierkweek in Flanders. The existing nurseries – where every year more than 200,000 fur animals to be killed must, at the latest in 2023 as the doors close. Also dwangvoeding, known mainly from the production of foie gras will no longer be possible in Flanders. The Flemish Government has the draft of the decree of the Flemish minister for animal Welfare Ben Weyts (N-VA) was approved and can now go to the Flemish Parliament. “After the ban on anaesthetized slaughter and the legislation against blokstaarten, we take farewell of out-dated practices such as pelsdierkweek and dwangvoeding” said Weyts.
The Flemish government had earlier this year already agreed with a draft of the decree that the Flemish minister for animal Welfare Ben Weyts (N-VA) at the end of the existing pelsdierkweek and dwangvoeding in Flanders. Friday was the design finally approved and to the parliament forwarded. No later than december 1, 2023 all seventeen the pelsdierkwekerijen and one foie-grasproducent are closed.
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“Animals kill only for their fur: that is really not of this time,” said Weyts. “The same goes for dwangvoeding, in which animals their food down the throat rammed.” the
The Flemish government provides a remuneration for existing businesses. The sooner they stop, the higher the compensation. The growers should are meanwhile also a number of conditions. So may they the coming years their activities do not move or expand. They may also only have verderkweken with the species that they are today. No later than december 1, 2023 all 17 pelsdierkwekerijen and the one foie gras producer are closed. The growers are, however, encouraged to move faster to closure. Therefore, the amount of compensation that the growers be awarded annually reduced.
“We have to be careful with the word historic, but this really is a huge step forward for Flanders,” said Weyts. “We say goodbye to a profitable industry, because we, as a community, more value to the welfare of the animals. Flanders plays internationally a leading role in this.”
Wallonia has already introduced in 2015 a ban on pelsdierkwekerijen in. Brussels did the same in 2017.
We say goodbye to a profitable industry, because we, as a community, more value to the welfare of the animals
Ben Weyts, Flemish minister of animal Welfare (N-VA)
