Ban fur farms, Pamela Anderson tells Finland

HELSINKI, June 22 (Reuters) Finland must move into the 21st century and stop fur farming, television star Pamela Anderson said in an appeal to the Nordic country's president.

In an open letter to President Tarja Halonen, Anderson said: ''I am proud of my Finnish family roots, but I was disappointed to learn that more foxes are killed in Finland than nearly anywhere else in the world.'' Anderson, who campaigns for animal rights, was visiting Finland to celebrate Midsummer's night.

Halonen thanked Anderson for the letter, but said it was up to the Finnish government to make decisions on fur farming, the Finnish news agency STT said.

Finland is among Europe's four leading fur producers, along with Denmark, Norway and the Netherlands, and its annual fur production is worth 250 million euros (335 million dollars).

REUTERS SKB VV1556