Will The Fur Trade Soon Be Finished Forever?
On June 9th, Israel became the first country in the world to ban the sale of fur. Environmental Protection Minister Gamliel said, "The fur industry causes the deaths of hundreds of millions of animals worldwide and inflicts indescribable cruelty and suffering."
NGO group, Animals Now, commended the move to represent a historic milestone, which will no doubt save the lives of countless animals. Furthermore, Animal rights organization PETA hailed the move as a historic victory that will protect countless foxes, minks, rabbits, and other animals from being violently killed for their skin.[1]
On June 23rd, Ireland Agriculture Minister, Charlie McConalogue announced Government agreement to the drafting of the Animal Health and Welfare (Amendment) Bill 2021. The bill would provide the legislative framework for implementing a prohibition on the keeping of animals primarily for their fur or skin, provide a compensation scheme for the fur farming businesses affected by this prohibition as well as to introduce other miscellaneous amendments to the Animal Health and Welfare Act 2013. If approved, the Minister will seek early pre-legislative scrutiny of the new provisions.[2] [3]
Over in the UK, the call for evidence has been launched jointly by Defra and both the Scottish and Welsh Governments in consideration for future fur trade-related government policy as well as to gather public information, evidence, and opinion for views concerning the commercial trade in fur farming and trading. The call for evidence is part of the UK Government's Action Plan for Animal Welfare’s. The survey is open to the public. Furthermore, the Humane Society International/UK revealed a new poll indicating 72 per cent of the public backing a ban on fur import and sales.
Claire Bass, executive director of HSI/UK, told The Independent a ban on imports and sales would not affect businesses dealing in second-hand fur:-
“We hope the government hears from the ever-growing list of designers and retailers that are proud to be fur-free and firmly see the future of British fashion as one of sustainability, humane treatment of animals, innovation and textile technology – that’s how the UK can be a world leader in fashion.”[4]
Furthermore, fashion house Stella McCartney has recently launched a bold new autumn 2021 campaign in a bid to end the fur trade and also to raise awareness for HSI's Free Britain petition. Titled “Our Time Has Come”, the campaign features stylishly clad animals stomping around London. Stella McCartney expressed: -
"While this campaign is light-hearted, I wanted to address a serious issue: ending the use of fur. Whether it is being sold here in the United Kingdom or farmed globally, barbarism knows no borders and this effort is key to my life’s mission of bringing conscience to the fashion industry."[5]
In May, fashion house Valentino joined a band of hundreds of other designers in becoming fur-free by the end of 2021. Italian campaigners applauded the move as a “nail in the coffin for the cruel fur trade.” Jacopo Venturini, CEO of Valentino, said in a statement: -
“The fur-free stance is perfectly in line with the values of our company.” “We are moving full-steam ahead in the research for alternative materials in view of a greater attention to the environment for the upcoming collections.”[6]
More than 100 million animals are killed annually for their fur. A plethora of animals including minks, foxes, raccoon dogs, chinchillas, coyotes, rabbits, bobcats, beavers, otters, and many others are raised or trapped for their fur. Over 95% of the furs sold comes from farmed animals while the rest comes from wild animals trapped with barbaric devices. These steel traps mercilessly clamp down onto the animals’ limbs, rendering them helpless, thus suffering a slow agonizing death.[7]
The vast majority of these animals never got to see the light of day as they are confined tiny cages in deplorable fur farms up until they meet their untimely death where they are inhumanely gassed or electrocuted to death for their pelts and their bodies casually tossed in a pile. Many of these animals turn to self-mutilation in response to the immense stress. [8] All these sufferings just to accede to the demands of the people who would not flinch at the idea of donning a piece of fur clothing— once belonging to a warm-blooded animal, brutally slaughtered for vanity and in the name of fashion.
On the other hand, it comes as no surprise that our furry friends are no exception to the brutal trade. Millions of dogs and cats in China are not only killed for their meat but also their fur, which is often mislabeled as fur from other species and exported to other countries to meet the soaring demand of the fur trade.
As a result, the fur trade is responsible for the depletion of many species such as the fur seals, vicuna, otters, and spotted cats (jaguars, ocelots, cheetahs, margays and tigers). Overexploitation of the fur trade is pushing many species into endangered status, hence this is why they are in dire need of protection.
One definitely does not need to bedizen in a fur coat to indicate their social class or taste as it only screams cold-blooded murder. It is crucial to shop with a conscience, clear of cruelty. You can do your part by discouraging fur-wearing and turning to other alternatives.
Did You Know…
More than 100 animals could be used to produce a single fur coat, depending on the size of the garment.
More than 2 million wild Kangaroos are hunted for their skin, known as ‘K-leather’, used for producing athletic shoes by some of the biggest sports brands.[9]
The impact of fur farming extends beyond the cruelties suffered by the animals. Millions of manure wastes containing a significant concentration of nitrogen and phosphorus are released into nearby ecosystems, causing health problems to other animals and humans. [10]
In 2016, rabbit fur keychains were selling like hotcakes across Singapore. The SPCA did a test which ‘strongly suggested’ that the keychains were indeed made from real rabbit fur. These keychains are sold for as low as SGD $15(HKD86). Some retailers contended that the keychains were made from fake fur while others saw no issues with it. [11]
Sign HERE to show your support to end fur trade.
Courtesy of Amelia Wang
Main Sources: The Vegan Review/ Fur Free Alliance/ IDAUSA/ HSI
References
[1] "Israel becomes world's first country to ban fur sales - Fur Free Alliance." 16 Jun. 2021, https://www.furfreealliance.com/israel-becomes-worlds-first-country-to-ban-fur-sales/.
[2] "Fur Farming Bill receives go-ahead from Government for ... - gov.ie." 22 Jun. 2021, https://www.gov.ie/en/press-release/ee557-fur-farming-bill-receives-go-ahead-from-government-for-drafting/.
[3] "Ministers to approve fur farming ban with compensation deals ...." 22 Jun. 2021, https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/ministers-to-approve-fur-farming-ban-with-compensation-deals-pqxqcj9z9.
[4] "Real fur: Ban on imports and sales 'will spare millions of animals' as ...." 3 Jun. 2021, https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/real-fur-ban-sale-imports-animals-b1855994.html.
[5] "Stella McCartney Launches Bold New ... - Tatler Hong Kong." 15 Jun. 2021, https://hk.asiatatler.com/style/stella-mccartney-autumn-2021-campaign.
[6] "Valentino joins growing band of fur-free designers - Lifestyle Asia ...." 24 May. 2021, https://www.lifestyleasia.com/hk/style/fashion/valentino-joins-growing-band-of-fur-free-designers/.
[7] "Inside the Fur Industry: Trapping Maims and Kills Animals | PETA." https://www.peta.org/issues/animals-used-for-clothing/animals-used-clothing-factsheets/inside-fur-industry-trapping-maims-kills-animals/..
[8] "Fur Trade Facts - Last Chance for Animals." https://www.lcanimal.org/campaigns/fur/fur-trade-facts.
[9] "Nike and Adidas Among Brands Blasted For Selling Kangaroo ...." 14 Feb. 2021, https://www.speciesunite.com/news-stories/nike-and-adidas-among-brands-blasted-for-selling-kangaroo-leather-shoes.
[10] "Fur Is Not Green | Respect for Animals." https://respectforanimals.org/fur-is-not-green/.
[11] "SPCA: Don't buy rabbit fur keychains , Latest Singapore News - The ...." 3 Aug. 2016, https://www.tnp.sg/news/singapore/spca-dont-buy-rabbit-fur-keychains.