A bill has been submitted to the National Assembly, which provides for a ban on the raising, breeding and killing of animals for the extraction of valuable furs in Bulgaria. The bill was submitted on October 1, but at the moment the ban has not yet been adopted and is not in force.
The proposal comes against the backdrop of World Farm Animal Day and the International Day of Non-Violence, which are celebrated on October 2. The date was also chosen because of Mahatma Gandhi's birthday, associated with the ideas of non-violent resistance.
Support from all parliamentary groups
“There is something truly significant behind this bill, because deputies from all parliamentary groups are behind it“, Petya Altimirska, chairwoman of the KAJI association, told BNR.
According to her, there are currently no active fur farms in Bulgaria, but without an explicit legal ban they could be restored or reappear. The association has been working for such a change since 2017.
“These farms cause suffering to animals, create risks for nature and risks to human health“, said Altimirska.
European initiatives for animal protection
The topic of the conditions in which animals are raised is part of a wider European debate. In 2020, the Eurogroup for Animals submitted nearly 1.4 million signatures to the European Commission requesting a gradual phase-out of the use of cages in animal husbandry.
In 2023, over 1.5 million European citizens supported an initiative to ban the breeding and killing of animals for the purpose of extracting valuable furs.
Calculations cited by the Bulgarian National Radio and linked to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and the platform “Our World in Data“ indicate that at least 83 billion terrestrial animals and birds are killed for food every year.
The next step for the Bulgarian bill is its consideration in the parliamentary procedure. Until its final adoption, promulgation and entry into force in Bulgaria, there is no general ban on fur farms in force.
Sources: Bulgarian National Radio