Year in fur farm raids, 1998 fur farm newsletter articles
Read fur farming newsletter covering the peak of the ALF’s fur farm campaign.
Part nine in a thirty-article series this month on the ALF’s fur farm campaign.
The year 1997 saw a record 22 fur farm liberations, a rate of over one action every two weeks. By the fall of 1998, there was no indication that the ALF was losing momentum. During one ten day period in the summer, there were five mink releases.
The fur farming industry was reeling, knowing that if this momentum continued, their entire industry would collapse in a few short years (or less). I believe if they ALF had sustained this pace, and continued to target both farms and suppliers (like feed plants), there would be no US fur industry today.
Fur Farm Letter
In October 1998, the Fur Commission dedicated almost an entire issue of their newsletter to covering this continued assault on their industry. I am posting some excerpts below.
The Fur Farm Letter is a controlled circulation newsletter distributed to the 400 or so members of the Fur Commission USA. As mentioned in previous articles, these newsletters were not intended to be seen by the public. With such a small circulation, fur farmers could reasonably expect that they would never be seen by anyone outside their circle. Fortunately, Animal Liberation Frontline has obtained dozens of issues going back to the late-1990s and will be posting many ALF-related selections over the next month.
1998: The fur industry staring down collapse
With continued intensity of Animal Liberation Front actions, the fear of their industry’s demise is evident in these articles. Some of the things covered in these excerpts:
- A 1998 “incident report” which was distributed to fur farmers, listing every suspicious incident such as strange vehicles seen near farms, and more. (Sound interesting? Animal Liberation Frontline has obtained this too, and will be posting next week.)
“Although there were several sightings of suspicious vehicles, the lack of detail, from license
plates to description of the vehicles and occupants, makes it difficult for law enforcement to effectively
use their limited resources”
- “Airplane surveillance”: Yes, fur farmers actually believe the ALF used small aircraft to surveil farms in advance of raids. As though such elaborate recon were necessary at small backyard operations.
- “Problem oriented policing”: The Fur Commission’s (naive) belief that large non-profit groups are behind the ALF, and how their non-profit status must be “attacked.”
- Encouraging fur farmers to be vigilant:
“It doesn’t mean we all become paranoid and call the police each time a strange car parks nearby. It
means going about our normal business, while getting into the habit of jotting down that car’s
license plate. The driver is probably as innocent as you or I, but what if the same car were spotted
by a farmer in the next state? What if you could compare notes and have FCUSA run a check?
What if? Such is the potential of a neighborhood watch to nip crime in the bud.”
- Celebrating recent arrests and indictments: Including indictments of myself and several activists in Utah.
- A list of break-ins and “foiled attempts” for 1998.
Fur Farm Letter coverage of ALF activity in 1998
This is the ninth of 30 articles I will be posting in December on the ALF’s fur farm campaign. Sign up for the email list to get every update sent to your inbox, or check back daily.
Receive updates via email: Subscribe here.
