Welfare of American mink, red and Arctic foxes, raccoon dog and chinchilla kept for fur production

Abstract

This Scientific Opinion (SO) addresses a mandate from the EC regarding welfareof the following animals when farmed for their fur: (i) American mink (Neogalevison or Neovison vison), (ii) Red fox (Vulpes vulpes, also known as ‘silver fox’), (iii)Arctic fox (Vulpes lagopus, also known as ‘blue fox’), (iv) Raccoon dog (Nyctereutesprocyonoides, also known as ‘Finnraccoon’) and (v) Chinchilla (Chinchilla lanigera).The request was to identify the most relevant welfare consequences (WCs) foreach species and to determine whether these could be prevented or substantiallymitigated in the current husbandry systems. ‘Current system’ refers strictly tothe cage systems and cage dimensions as described in the EFSA Technical reportproduced under this mandate, as there was no or very limited information avail-able on animals kept in alternative farming systems. Using information obtainedfrom a review of literature, consultations with stakeholders and consideration byEFSA experts, the SO addresses for each species these WCs along with their un-derlying hazards and potential preventive or mitigating measures. In all species,Restriction of movement, Inability to perform exploratory or foraging behaviour,and Sensorial under- and overstimulation were selected as the most relevant WCs,sharing common hazards linked to current cage size and barrenness. Species-specific WCs include: soft tissue lesions and integument damage (mink), and han-dling stress (mink and foxes); locomotory disorders (Arctic fox); group stress (redfox), locomotory disorders and isolation stress (raccoon dog); and inability to per-form comfort behaviour, resting problems and predation stress (chinchilla). In themajority of cases, it is concluded that neither prevention nor substantial mitiga-tion of the identified WCs is possible in the current system. The SO also includesconclusions on limited or substantial mitigation measures in the current systemand, when not possible, on substantial mitigating measures which would requirea change to a different system.