Issue Type: Fur

Humane Society International / Global

CITES

GENEVA—A ban on international commercial trade in the Asian small-clawed otter has been agreed by an overwhelming majority by world leaders attending the 18th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES CoP18), being held in Geneva, Switzerland. Countries voted to list the Asian small-clawed otter on Appendix I, in addition to an earlier vote to also list the smooth-coated otter on Appendix I. Humane Society International/India and its global affiliate Humane Society International, part of one of the largest global animal protection charities in the world, welcomes the CITES uplisting as essential to the survival of these species.

Mark Simmonds, senior marine scientist at Humane Society International, said: “A wide variety of threats is adversely affecting the Asian small-clawed otter in the wild, such as habitat loss, pollution, and the fur trade, but increasingly it is persecution for the pet trade that is proving its downfall. This is the smallest and arguably the ‘cutest’ of all the otter species, and interest in them, fanned by photos and film on social media, means that a market for live pet animals has been swiftly growing in Asia. They are increasingly being seen in coffee shops in Japan and elsewhere where they are used as props to entice customers who share their experiences on social media platforms like Instagram, thus perpetuating the otter craze.

“With so much stacked against these otters, who are now classified as Vulnerable by the IUCN, we are delighted that they will now benefit from this very welcome, precautionary agreement to give them the highest protection at CITES. The Appendix I listing effectively bans international trade for commercial purposes and removes one of the key threats that they face. This isn’t the end of the story however. We urgently need other complementary conservation initiatives to truly tackle the otter’s demise, and so we hope that this new CITES listing will act as a call to action. We commend India, Nepal, the Philippines and Bangladesh for bringing both the otter proposals forward, and all the countries and conservation organizations that supported them.”  

Sumanth Bindumadhav, HSI/India’s wildlife campaign manager who presented an intervention on the floor of CITES CoP on behalf of 24 other national and international non-profit organisations, said: “HSI/India has long highlighted the myriad threats faced by the small-clawed and smooth-coated otters, so we are delighted by these important CITES actions. Appendix I listings will send an important and timely warning, not least to online and social media audiences, that these are imperilled species and that trade in them is harmful to their welfare and their overall species survival. We hope that it will also lead to additional trade controls, enhanced scrutiny of captive-breeding operations, and aid enforcement, given the challenge in distinguishing between tropical Asian otter species once in trade.”

The decision needs to be ratified at the plenary session of the CITES conference on August 27/28th.

Media Contacts:

Shambhavi Tiwari, +91 8879834125 stiwari@hsi.org

Media contact at CITES CoP in Geneva: Sumanth Bindumadhav, +91 99808 72975 sbindumadhav@hsi.org

Humane Society International / Global

Cramped conditions, poor hygiene, stress, injuries and disease, minimal veterinary care and lack of genetic diversity all mean that fur farms create ideal conditions for viruses to be transmitted.

HSUS and HSI celebrate as Prada Group drops fur to “meet the demand for ethical products”

Humane Society International / Global

Milan–Italian luxury fashion house Prada Group – and all its brands, including Prada, Miu Miu, Church’s, and Car Shoe – has announced it will no longer use animal fur in its designs or products starting with its Spring/Summer 2020 women’s collection. Humane Society International and the Humane Society of the United States, along with Fur Free Alliance, a coalition of over 50 animal protection originations from 25 countries, have been working with Prada behind the scenes after running a public campaign urging the brand to drop fur last September.

“The Prada Group is committed to innovation and social responsibility, and our fur-free policy – reached following a positive dialogue with the Fur Free Alliance, in particular with LAV and the Humane Society of the United States – is an extension of that engagement,” said Miuccia Prada. “Focusing on innovative materials will allow the company to explore new boundaries of creative design while meeting the demand for ethical products.”

Prada previously sold fur from mink, fox and rabbit. All three species suffer terribly on fur farms where they are confined for short lives in barren, wire-mesh cages where their existence is so deprived, monotonous and stressful that they often exhibit signs of self-mutilation and repetitive stereotypical behaviour.

Kitty Block, president and CEO of HSUS and HSI, said, “Prada’s fur-free announcement will send a clear message to the fashion industry and governments around the world that the biggest names in fashion are ditching fur cruelty and opting for innovative and animal-friendly alternatives. We are dedicated to ending this cruel trade once and for all.”

Prada, Miu Miu, Church’s and Car Shoe join many other leading fashion brands and retailers in going fur-free—since the beginning of 2017 alone Burberry, Versace, Gucci, Chanel, Coach, Donna Karan, Michael Kors/Jimmy Choo, Diane von Furstenberg, Columbia Sportswear, Farfetch, Yoox Net-a-Porter, Burlington, VF Corporation (Timberland/The North Face) and Furla, have all stopped using fur in their collections.

This momentum has led to several US cities, including San Francisco and Los Angeles, banning fur sales, and currently New York City, New York and California are considering similar legislation. As well, India banned fur imports in 2017 and many countries – including the Netherlands, United Kingdom, Austria, Norway and the Czech Republic – have banned, or are in the process of phasing out, fur production. In the UK, Humane Society International is working to ban fur sales there with its #FurFreeBritain campaign.

 

Media Contacts:

Humane Society International: Wendy Higgins: 07989 972423; Whiggins@hsi.org

The Humane Society of the United States: Emily Ehrhorn: 301-258-1423; eerhorn@humanesociety.org

Humane Society International / United Kingdom

Through extensive research, HSI UK has discovered that many animal fur items for sale in the UK, especially in independent boutiques, in markets and online, are either not labelled at all, or are incorrectly labelled or marketed as synthetic.

For the vast majority of British shoppers who reject the cruelty of the fur trade, trying to buy only fake fur can be a real challenge. Whether it’s raccoon dog fur bobble hats, rabbit fur key chains, or hooded coats trimmed with fox fur, misleading labelling or incorrect marketing is leading would-be ethical consumers to purchase real fur trim items in the mistaken belief that they are faux fur.

Don’t be misled—check out our guide to telling the difference between real and faux fur.

This is a double scandal—violating the rights of consumers who are not being protected from unfair trading, and artificially inflating the market for animal fur, causing immense suffering.

We believe that all retailers have a duty to ensure that they have rigorous buying and quality control procedures in place in order that they do not mislead customers.

Each year, HSI/UK finds more examples of ‘fake faux fur’ for sale, from well-known outlets on the UK high street to independent shops and markets, in London and other UK cities. The problem appears to be growing particularly acute online.

How can this happen? Isn’t fur expensive?

Shockingly, real fur can now be produced and sold for less than fake fur—a calculation that’s costing animals their lives.

Life is cheap in the animal fur industry; miserably poor conditions in countries such as China—where much UK fur trim comes from – means real fur can be produced and sold very inexpensively. At online wholesalers such as Alibaba.com, retailers can bulk-buy a 70cm raccoon dog fur hood trim for £3 per piece, or a raccoon dog fur pompom for a bobble hat for just 30p per piece.

This translates into cheap items on the high-street. Here are just a few of the items we’ve recently found in the UK:

  • A knitted hat with real marmot fur bobble costing £3.50
  • A handbag charm/keyring pom pom made from rabbit fur for sale at £5 each
  • A parka with real raccoon dog fur trim around the hood priced at £35
  • A gilet made from real raccoon dog fur with a £75 price tag
  • A short sleeveless jacket made of rabbit and marmot fur for sale at £35

Check before you buy, but please do not simply rely on labels or price when taking a decision on whether fur is real or fake—an animal’s life could depend on it. Check out our guide to telling the difference between real and fake fur—and if in any doubt, please leave it on the shelf.

Buyer beware: what’s (not) on the label

Shockingly, there’s no legal requirement for animal fur to be specifically listed on a garment’s fabric content label. We’ve recently found, for example:

  • A ladies’ coat with a real fur trim on the hood, labelled polyester 100%
  • A pair of fingerless gloves with real fur trim, labelled 100% acrilico [sic]
  • A knitted hat with a real fur bobble, labelled 100% acrylic
  • A pair of woolen gloves with real fur trim, labelled 80% wool, 20% polyester

By law, under the EU Textile Products Regulation (2011) a “textile product” that include parts of animal origin (for example, feathers, bone, or animal fur) must be clearly labelled or marked using the phrase “contains non-textile parts of animal origin”.

However, our retail surveys show extremely low compliance with this new Regulation, meaning consumers can’t rely on labels to avoid buying real animal fur. In addition, the fur labelling requirements under this Regulation do not apply to any non-textile items (for example a coat made primarily out of fur, or leather, which are not textiles would not legally require any fur labelling), plus shoes or accessories such as pom pom keychains are also exempt.

Current EU fur labelling laws are inadequate and poorly implemented, creating a confused marketplace.

Customers care—and deserve better

Opinion polls for decades show that the vast majority of the British public want no part in the cruel fur trade, and would not buy or wear real animal fur.

A poll commissioned by HSI/UK and conducted by YouGov shows that the vast majority (85%) of consumers expect to see real animal fur clearly labelled as such in the clothes and accessories they buy. The poll also reveals that, in addition to labelling, people rely most heavily on fur feeling synthetic (50%) and a cheap price (47%) as lead indicators to assess whether fur is real or fake. In fact, neither represents a reliable method to distinguish real from fake fur, and labels are unreliable.

UK shoppers are not getting the information they need to make informed, ethical buying choices.

The Advertising Standards Agency recently upheld two complaints from HSI/UK where real fur had been described as faux fur. It has since issued an Enforcement Notice and guidance to retailers reminding them of their responsibilities when it comes to describing fur.

Read our blog: Lacking Infurmation

View details of our recent investigation

Found fake faux fur? Send us the details

Humane Society International / Canada

Ask Canadian politicians to shut down the country’s factory fur farms.

Humane Society International

Overview

Millions of animals suffer and die every year for fashion. Confined in small, wire-mesh cages on factory farms or captured by brutal metal traps in the wild, their fur is turned into frivolous keychain trinkets or trim on coats and hats.

 

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