France bans circus animals and mink farms, but not bull fighting

[Catherine]

The French Parliament has voted to ban the use of wild animals in circuses. The ban also includes dolphin shows and mink farming. The penalties for mistreating animals will also increase. 
What hasn't been banned is bull fighting which takes place in a few places in southern France. Hunting is still allowed and so are some agricultural practices such as the production of foie gras pate.
The law does a lot, but animal rights activists believe it does not do enough.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/n...llfighting

These are major improvements. It is way past time for circuses to retire their animals. The same goes for Dolphin shows. 
There never should have been mink farms in the first place so closing them is a good thing. I can't believe they are still allowing bull fighting. 
I still wonder what kind of people attend bull fights.
It is an uphill battle to change farming practices. Still it should not be hard to ban foie gras production. It is such obvious animal cruelty.

Hunting is a touchy issue. Even restricting it or regulating it is going to take more time and effort.

This law is still a big victory. Think of all the mink that will not be born to suffer miserable lives and horrible deaths. Think of the dolphins and circus animals that will not be forced to perform for human entertainment. That is a lot of animal suffering that will come to an end.  We can certainly celebrate that.

[LPC]

Like so many times in history, progress has has to be made in steps. The law passed by the LREM Govt. is real progress in the right direction. As you correctly say, other issues have had to be left for a later time, as trying to put too much into one bill would have risked the whole project failing to get a majority.

Bullfighting is restricted to a few towns in the very south of France. There is none in the rest of the country. The fight continues to get it banned and we will get there soon.

Hunting is a difficult one to get banned. Many French people are opposed to it, but there is a strong hunting lobby. I think that a ban will come with time, as it is mostly older people who still do hunting and young people show little interest or are opposed.

As for the USA and Canada - what do you think the prospects of a ban on hunting are there, Catherine?

[Catherine]

Quote:As for the USA and Canada - what do you think the prospects of a ban on hunting are there, Catherine?

We can't even get the seal hunt banned. I would say zero chance of a hunting ban. That being said we could still work at banning hunting farms where animals are raised to be shot. We could work at banning trophy hunting. We could work at banning the spring bear hunt in Ontario. They put out food for hungry bears and shoot them when they come to eat. No of these are honorable hunting methods.

I think some subsistence hunting for survival will always remain. It is a very different activity and it is not large numbers of animals. It is certainly sustainable ecologically.

You are right the changes have to be made slowly. They banned what they could. If you hold out for everything you could end up with nothing.
I think hunting as a sport will die out. I agree, younger people are not interested. I think bull fighting will end. I am not sure why it has lasted this long.

It is enough that mink farming is ending. Every aspect of that was cruel for the animals.
This is still a very big victory.