State of The Movement: International Anti-Fur Advancements Reported

(source: antifurcoalition.org)

A wave against the fur trade

Global awareness

Through media, social networking sites, leaflets, street campaigns and educational and creative initiatives, the public is becoming increasingly aware of the reality behind the glitzy PR efforts of the fur trade. A growing number of compassionate designers, artists, celebrities and prominent public figures from designer John Bartlett to First Lady Michelle Obama have made clear that they favor the easy, kind choice to avoid real animal fur. Many department stores and major chain stores from NYC’s legendary Henri Bendel to Overstock.com have adopted fur free policies and the number continues to increase. Many stores from Barney’s to Urban Outfitters and Strawberry who have been documented selling real fur labeled as faux are monitored and held accountable. ………………………………illustration by Tara Jacoby

More countries are banning the import of seal products which will eventually make seal hunting economically unsustainable.

Undercover investigations of mink and fox farms have brought critical attention to the fur industry in Norway. As a result, Oslo Fashion Week, the most important fashion event in Norway has adopted a fur free policy, so no fur can be seen on its catwalks.

Fur traders running out of arguments are now trying to promote their industry through greenwashing. Many people are not fooled and realize how this production relies on the use of toxic chemicals and other pollutants responsible for several environmental large-scale contaminations.

Changes in legislation

Several countries have already taken decisions against the fur industry:

United Kingdom: Fur farms are forbidden since 2003
Austria: Fur farming prohibited entirely under the Austrian Animal Welfare Act. There have been other provisions at federal state level, some of which amount to such high welfare requirements that fur farming has been made economically unsustainable.
Croatia: A ban on fur farming has been introduced with a 10 year phase out starting from January 2007.
Denmark: The Danish Parliament voted for a ban on fox farming with a phase-out period.
Switzerland: High welfare standards state that fur animals can only be kept under restrictive conditions that make fur production economically unsustainable.
All seal products are banned in the USA, Mexico and Croatia and it is now illegal to place commercial seal products on the market in all 27 countries of the EU. Even Russia is calling for an end of seal hunting.

Organizations and politicians work actively on getting laws passed in several countries. These are a few current projects:

Canadian senator Mac Harb proposed a bill to end the seal hunt in Canada.
A bill to ban the import, export and sale of fur, which was first initiated by MK Nitzan Horowitz and then taken over by MK Ronit Tirosh will likely make Israel the first fur free country! The bill could be approved for its second and third reading at the next coming committee meeting. Though unanimously endorsed by the legislative branch of government, the legislation is being temporarily delayed. Also many Members of Parliament and politicians from all over the world have written letters of support in favor of the Israeli ground-breaking anti-fur bill.
In Ireland, Cieran Perry proposed a motion to ban the import and sale of real fur which passed successfully in the jurisdiction of Dublin City Council. Fingal County Council also passed the same motion which was proposed by Cllr. David McGuinness: it passed unanimously gaining cross-party support. Other councils are likely to follow soon. A formal letter has also been written to the Irish government, asking for a review of the current legislation.
Activists and a city council candidate announced a campaign to turn the trendy, forward-thinking city of West Hollywood, California USA into the first fur-free city in the United States. West Hollywood would become the capital of fur-free fashion.

The Challenges Continue:

Copenhagen Furs, the world’s largest fur organization, has opened a cold storage warehouse in China where  to import 2/3 of the companies mink, to meet a growing demand for mink fur in China.
Canada’s controversial seal hunt has found a market in China – where protests are banned – with the largest demand for Seal pelts, meat, and oil.
Finnish fur sales were reported higher than ever at the Spring 2011 auctions, at prices higher than ever.
Despite growing outcry and evidence of greenwashing, the industry continues to push the myth that fur is “eco-friendly”.