Dear Minister Crummell;

I am deeply concerned about the recent proposal by Eagle Ridge Farm Ltd. to expand its mink farm from 300 to 3000 animals. Many countries have banned or severely restricted fur farming, and the The Humane Society International, Canada is calling for a ban on fur farming in Canada. Newfoundland and Labrador should not allow itself to become the default jurisdiction for those looking to perpetuate this horrible business.

The production of fur for fashion is intensely polluting, energy consumptive, and employs a host of toxic and carcinogenic chemicals that put human health and our environment at risk, and more and more apparel companies and consumers have been rejecting fur.

Raised in wire mesh battery cages, the welfare of these animals raise ethical issues. There is no way to humanely confine an animal in a restricted space, deprive them of natural stimulus, or slaughter them. In their natural habitat, mink spend 60% of their time in water, and are solitary creatures. They are able to experience pleasure and suffering, and this farming existence is cruel and unjust to these animals.

Please reject this proposal and ban any future expansion of this horrible business.