Norway’s Fur Farming Ban Is Finally Here 🇳🇴

For decades, Norway was one of the biggest fur producers in Europe. Cages stacked with minks and foxes, animals pacing in frustration, waiting for the inevitable. But as of the 1st of February 2025, it’s over. The fur farming industry in Norway has officially shut down. The ban, passed back in 2019, finally came into effect.

It took long enough. But the important thing is - it happened.

A Fur-Free Future in Norway

Norway’s government announced the ban in 2018, sending a clear message: fur farming has no place in a civilised society. They gave fur farmers a transition period, allowing them to shut down operations gradually. That period is now over. No more breeding, no more killing, no more business as usual for the fur trade in Norway.

This is a huge win - not just for the animals who will no longer be bred for their fur, but for the entire movement to end their exploitation. Norway was home to around 300 fur farms before the ban was announced. These operations killed hundreds of thousands of animals every year.

Now? The cages are empty.

Why Did Norway Ban Fur Farming?

It wasn’t an overnight decision. The fight to end fur farming in Norway was long and hard. Campaigners, activists, and even veterinarians had been exposing the suffering of animals in fur farms for decades. Investigations showed foxes with open wounds, minks with psychological distress, animals driven mad by confinement.

The industry claimed these conditions were “necessary” and “humane.” The reality? It was a horror show.

Norwegian politicians eventually couldn’t ignore the evidence. The government acknowledged the ethical concerns and passed the Fur Farming Prohibition Act in June 2019. The goal was clear: phase out fur farming and shut down the industry completely by 2025.

Compensation for Fur Farmers - Because, Of Course

Of course, no ban on animal exploitation comes without pushback from those profiting from it. Fur farmers protested. They demanded compensation. And they got it.

The Norwegian government allocated around 3 billion Norwegian kroner (about £225 million) to compensate fur farmers shutting down their businesses. This money was supposedly for “loss of livelihood” and “transition support.”

Animal agriculture, in all its forms, has always been propped up by government subsidies and payouts. The fur industry is no exception. Farmers make money exploiting animals. When the public rejects it, they make more money shutting down.

But let’s be honest - if the only way your business can exist or end is through government handouts, maybe it was never a sustainable business model to begin with.

Norway Joins the Growing List of Fur-Free Nations

Norway is just the latest country to ban fur farming. Across Europe, country after country has recognised that breeding animals for fur is outdated, unnecessary, and unacceptable.

Here’s a quick rundown of other countries that have banned or are phasing out fur farming:

United Kingdom – The first country to ban fur farming in 2003. But still importing fur.

Austria – Banned fur farming in 2004.

Netherlands – Banned fox and chinchilla farming in 2008, with mink farming ending in 2021.

Belgium – Banned fur farming in 2018, giving farms until 2023 to close.

Czech Republic – Banned in 2017, with all farms closed by 2019.

Estonia, France, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Slovakia – All banned fur farming in recent years.

More bans are coming. Finland, Poland, and Spain are under increasing pressure to shut down their industries. Germany and Sweden have severely restricted fur farming, making it financially unviable.

And let’s not forget the biggest fur-producing country in Europe - Denmark. Still churning out mink fur despite public opposition, but that won’t last forever. The writing is on the wall.

What About the Fur Industry?

The fur trade isn’t happy about Norway’s decision. They know every national ban makes it harder to pretend their industry has a future.

They claim bans push production to countries with weaker regulations, like China and Russia. But this argument misses the point. The goal isn’t to regulate fur farming - it’s to abolish it. Countries banning fur are sending a message: this industry is unacceptable. The more countries that shut it down, the more pressure there is on the remaining ones to follow.

And let’s be real - fur is dying as a fashion statement. Big brands have been ditching it for years. Gucci, Prada, Burberry, Versace, and countless others have gone fur-free. Even major retailers refuse to stock it.

Demand is plummeting, and no amount of industry whining will change that.

The UK Needs to Catch Up

Here’s the embarrassing part. The UK was the first country to ban fur farming back in 2003. But it still imports and sells fur. That’s right - fur farming is too cruel to happen here, but perfectly fine to bring in from countries where animals suffer just as much.

The UK government has been dragging its feet on banning fur sales. Despite overwhelming public support for a full ban, lobbying pressure from the fur industry keeps stalling progress.

If Norway, a country that actually had an active fur industry, can ban it entirely, why is the UK still allowing fur to be sold?

The Future: A Fur-Free World

Norway’s fur farming ban is a major step forward. But it’s not the end. The ultimate goal is a world where no animals are bred, trapped, or killed for their fur. That means:

More countries banning fur farming – The more bans, the harder it is for the industry to survive.

Banning fur sales and imports – A full ban on fur means stopping production and stopping trade.

Shutting down fur farms everywhere – No loopholes, no weak “welfare standards,” just abolition.

There’s no justification for breeding animals just to strip their fur and discard their bodies. It’s archaic, cruel, and completely unnecessary.

Norway Did It. Who’s Next?

Now that Norway has banned fur farming, all eyes are on the next big step. Will more countries follow? Will the UK finally ban fur sales?

One thing’s for sure - the fur industry is running out of places to hide.