From PETA
France has just ushered in a new compassionate era for animals. After decades of demonstrations, action alerts, petitions, lobbying, meetings with government officials, celebrity support, pickets, and every other strategy that PETA France and local groups could think of, the French government has announced three huge victories for animals suffering in captivity.
France has banned marine parks from stealing or breeding orcas and other dolphins
This phenomenal decision also marks the beginning of a two-year transition period for getting orcas out of Marineland and into sea sanctuaries and a transition period of seven to 10 years for other dolphins.
The transition period will give both the government and the marine park industry time to find solutions for moving France’s current captive dolphin population to a more natural environment, rather than sending them to facilities in other countries.
France has enacted an outright ban on travelling circuses using wild animals
While authorities haven’t devised a formal timeline for removing the approximately 500 suffering animals from France’s many circuses, the government is working with the industry directly to support it through the transition and in finding solutions.
Nearly 60,000 compassionate people signed PETA France’s petition - presented by French singer David Hallyday - against animal-abusing circuses. PETA France supporters also sent thousands of messages to mayors throughout the country asking them to refuse to host shows that exploit animals.
Actress Pamela Anderson wrote a letter of support that was sent to about 36,000 mayors, and French President Emmanuel Macron.
New mink farms are now illegal in France, and current ones will be closed by 2025
This announcement follows years of campaigning against fur by PETA and international affiliates and aligns with the values of the overwhelming majority of the population, which opposes the cruelty of fur production. According to a 2020 poll, 91% of people in France say that they oppose the fur trade.