Fur farming in Finland is not acceptable in its current form, according to 71 percent of respondents to a poll carried out for animal rights organisations.

Women and younger people were especially opposed to the practices, with just seven percent of women and four percent of those aged 15-24 finding fur farming acceptable.

More than a third of respondents would accept continued operation of fur farms if the animals' conditions could be significantly improved and they were able to to engage in natural behaviour.

Just 16 percent of respondents felt that fur farming could continue in its current form without new regulations.

Finland's fur farms made international headlines earlier this week when British paper the Mirror reported on a visit to a farm where Arctic foxes were kept in squalid conditions.

The animals had damaged feet from the wire floor of their cages, were extremely obese and suffered apparent psychological distress.

The survey was carried out by Taloustutkimus on behalf of Animalia and Right to Live, two animal rights NGOs.