The Swedish People's Party (SPP) will not change its position favouring the practice of fur farming, following a vote on the issue at the party's congress over the weekend.
The issue sparked a lively debate after a proposal calling for a gradual ban on current and new farms was submitted by party members Anna Granstedt, Kasper Kannosto and Karin Cederlöf.
The industry has become the target of intensified criticism in recent years. A 2022 survery by pollster Taloustutkimus found that public opposition to the current system of fur farming had jumped to 80 percent.
The proposed law amendments received less than a third of voter support at the SPP congress, however.
The party's council as well as chair Anna-Maja Henriksson voted against the proposal, favouring instead efforts to improve animal welfare rather than an outright ban.
"Nobody is bringing fur farms to Helsinki, I am absolutely certain of that. You have to understand the different local conditions," Henriksson said of her decision.
The vast majority of Finland's fur farms are located in the south, central and north regions of Ostrobothnia.
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