Sam Delaney/ Elephant Reintegration TrustFrom Left to Right: Tenisha Roos (Elephant Researcher), Tammy Eggeling (Principle Elephant Researcher, ERT), Brett Mitchell (Chairman, ERT), Dr Audrey Delsink (Wildlife Director, HSI/Africa) and JJ van Altena (Global Supplies/HSI/Africa Project Implementation Specialist) with immobilised elephant bull fitted with a satellite tracking collar to facilitate remote monitoring.
CAPE TOWN—Humane Society International/Africa (HSI/Africa) and the Elephant Reintegration Trust (ERT) have joined forces in a research project that could change the way that elephants are managed in South Africa in the future.
Nine reserves are currently part of the research project, with more due to join as the project progresses.
“While we know a lot about elephants, there’s so much more to learn – especially the effects that human interventions and management have on their lives and welfare,” said HSI/Africa wildlife director, Dr Audrey Delsink.
HSI/Africa’s elephant immunocontraception programme is already successfully ensuring non-lethal population control amongst elephant cows, with > 1150 females already contracepted in South Africa.
“This prevents the need for lethal culling as it controls local population densities, helping to mitigate potential elephant-human conflict in communities alongside reserves. However, we need to examine the effects of decisions that have been taken particularly for bull elephants—because not all are favourable or biologically relevant,” added Delsink.
According to the ERT, many undesirable bull elephant behaviours may be due to lack of knowledge around the importance of elephant social dynamics which results in poor management practices such as unbalanced demographics, or the incorrect or prolonged use of treatments to suppress musth and aggression in bulls.
“Extensive observation, monitoring and tracking is showing us how elephants use their landscape. When bull elephants break out of reserves, show aggression or unwanted behaviour, this invariably points towards a lack of space or social stability in the system, often resulting due to previous uninformed management decisions. If not responsibly addressed such behaviours will likely escalate,” said ERT chairman, Brett Mitchell.
The research team aims to use their findings to guide the management of free ranging elephants and the reintegration of captive elephants back into wild systems.
“We’re also aiming to develop a meta-population management approach to assist reserves to monitor and manage their elephant populations more effectively so that potential problems can be mitigated before they arise,” added Delsink.
The ERT and HSI/Africa team were recently at the Khamab Kalahari Reserve in the North West province with partner Global Supplies and veterinarian Dr Zoe Glyphis to deploy additional satellite collars on elephant bulls. This will help the team to better understand the dynamics of the elephants’ movement ahead of an introduction of new, various aged bulls, selected with the intention of building up the current bull hierarchy.
Media Contact: Marisol Gutierrez: 072 358 9531; mgutierrez@hsi.org
Canadians urged to speak up for elephants in public consultation
Humane Society International / Canada
istock
MONTREAL—Seventeen renowned Canadian artists and scientists have signed an open letter calling on the Canadian government to take urgent action to prohibit elephant ivory trade. In the past century, the African elephant population, which is currently listed as critically endangered/endangered by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, has declined by 96%, with leading scientists warning the population could be lost altogether within the next few decades in the absence of global intervention to disincentivize poachers.
On July 23, 2021, The Canadian government launched a public consultation to hear feedback on proposed measures to restrict or end elephant ivory trade.
Robert Bateman, renowned Canadian artist and conservationist, stated: “The survival of African elephants hinges on the actions of the global community, and progressive nations like Canada have a responsibility to act accordingly. I am joining countless Canadians in calling on the Canadian government to act now and ban elephant ivory trade. I commend the government for launching a public consultation and encourage all concerned Canadians to take this critically important opportunity to speak up.”
Michael Bernard, deputy director of Humane Society International/Canada, stated: “Canada is at a crossroads and the actions we take now to protect African elephants will be remembered for generations to come. In keeping with its commitments to preserve global biodiversity and end human-induced extinctions, the Canadian government has launched a crucial public consultation. We urge all Canadians to participate and make clear that only a robust national ban on elephant ivory trade can truly help us end the senseless killing of African elephants.”
Tessa Vanderkop, vice president of Elephanatics, stated: “Tens of thousands of African elephants are killed every year to fill the global demand for elephant ivory. The world community is taking action, and more than 620,000 people have signed a petition calling on the Canadian government to ban elephant ivory trade as a matter of urgency. We encourage all Canadians to take part in the consultation and make their voices heard for African elephants.”
The full list of notable Canadians who have signed onto the open letter urging the government to take action and ban elephant ivory trade includes: Bif Naked, musician; Bryan Adams, O.C., musician; Cristina Mittermeier, photographer, biologist; Edward Burtynsky, photographer; Georges Laraque, commentator, former athlete; Dr. Harvey Locke, conservationist; Jennifer Baichwal, filmmaker; Professor John Bemrose, Victoria College, University of Toronto; Dr. John England, O.C., F.R.S.C., professor emeritus, earth and atmospheric sciences; Dr. Martin Sharpe – earth scientist; Nicholas de Pencier, filmmaker; Paul Nicklen, photojournalist, marine biologist; Dr. Peter Abrams, F.R.S.C., professor emeritus, ecology & evolutionary biology; Robert Bateman, C.M., O.B.C., artist; Shelton Dupreez, filmmaker; Tzeporah Berman, environmental activist; and William Shatner, O.C., actor.
More information regarding the consultation and how to participate can be found here.
Quick Facts:
Studies indicate between 25,000 and 50,000 African elephants have been poached annually in recent decades, and even the lowest estimate exceeds the elephant birth rate, thereby posing a direct threat to these populations.
In March of 2021, the International Union for Conservation of Nature updated the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species and declared the African forest elephant to be Critically Endangered and the African savanna elephant to be Endangered.
In 2016, delegates to the 17th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES)agreed in a resolution recommending that, “all Parties and non-Parties in whose jurisdiction there is a legal domestic market for ivory that is contributing to poaching or illegal trade, take all necessary legislative, regulatory and enforcement measures to close their domestic markets for commercial trade in raw and worked ivory as a matter of urgency.” Repeated government seizures of elephant ivory in Canada are irrefutable evidence of illegal ivory trade in this nation and likely represent a fraction of existing illegal trade.
The African Elephant Coalition, comprised of 32 African nations (including 29 elephant range states) states, “any supply of ivory, including that within otherwise legal domestic markets, inherently increases the risk to elephant populations and local communities, due to the opportunity it creates for the laundering of illegal ivory under the guise of legality.”
Canada’s top trading partners, including the United States, China and the United Kingdom have closed their elephant ivory markets in response to declining elephant populations.
In addition to elephant ivory trade, Canada allows the import of elephant tusks and parts from trophy hunts. Approximately 300 African elephant tusks—representing 150 elephants—were legally imported into Canada from 2010-2018.
94% of Canadians support an elephant ivory trade ban (Insights West, 2020) and a public petition calling for a Canadian ban on elephant ivory trade has amassed over 600,000 signatures.
LONDON—Ahead of the Tokyo Summer Games starting this week, promoted by the Japanese government as the “greenest games ever”, animal protection groups have written to Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga to say that Japan can’t win gold for the environment until it stops the cruel and unsustainable practice of commercial whaling.
In a letter to Japan’s Prime Minister, Olympics Minister Tamayo Marukawa and Ambassador to the UK, Hajime Hayashi, the Humane Society International/UK, Whale and Dolphin Conservation, ORCA, Environmental Investigation Agency, Four Paws, Animal Welfare Institute and Cetacean Society International commend Japan for its environmental achievements for the Games such as plastic waste podiums and recycled metal medals but say that slaughtering whales not only causes immense animal suffering, it also kills some of our planet’s most important environmental guardians.
The letter explains that whales not only circulate nutrients that encourage the growth of carbon dioxide-absorbing phytoplankton by feeding in deep water and defecating at the surface, but their immense bodies also safely lock away tons of the greenhouse gas for hundreds of years when they die and their bodies sink to the sea bed.
The letter reads: “We are at a pivotal moment in our global efforts to avert catastrophic climate breakdown, and high-profile, international events like the Olympics provide a vital platform to promote environmental protection. However, as Olympic hosts, Japan’s commitments on planetary protection need to extend beyond the National Stadium, beyond plastic waste podiums, recycled metal medals and sustainable athletic apparel… Whales play a key role in capturing and storing harmful carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas that is the main contributor to climate change. One way they do this is when they feed at depth and then defecate nearer the water surface, they provide vital nutrients to the plant plankton, or phytoplankton, which grow in the sunlit upper waters. Globally, phytoplankton absorbs up to 35% of all anthropogenic carbon dioxide produced. Whales also store tons of carbon in their bodies, and so when they die their carcasses sink to the seabed safely locking away 33 tons of CO2 on average for hundreds of years.”
Claire Bass, executive director of Humane Society International/UK which initiated the letter, says: “This week the Japanese government will be proudly launching the Summer Games in Tokyo and celebrating its green credentials. But looking beyond the podiums made of recycled mobile phones, we find a nation flying in the face of world opinion in its grim persistence to maintain cruel and outdated commercial whaling. These ocean leviathans play a vital role in maintaining healthy oceans and climate, and instead of blasting them with exploding harpoons Japan should join the nations united in efforts to safeguard their populations and habitats.”
The International Whaling Commission’s moratorium on commercial whaling, agreed in 1982, has helped great whale populations increase, likely saving several species from extinction. Yet many whale populations remain low or endangered—and all whales face the huge threats of fishing-related deaths, ship collisions, climate change, and chemical, litter and noise pollution. Since 1987, Japan killed more than 15,000 whales under the ‘special permit’ guise of scientific research which it used as a loophole to kill whales for profit. The legitimacy of Japan’s use of the ‘scientific whaling clause’ was rejected in the International Court of Justice in 2014. In June 2019, Japan formally left the IWC and continued to kill whales without any pretence of science but openly as commercial whaling. Although it has ceased whaling in the Southern Ocean, it continues whaling in the North Pacific. There remains an international ban on commercial whaling which applies to both the high seas and countries’ territorial waters. By walking away from the IWC and continuing to kill whales, Japan is defying international law.
The groups’ letter concludes: “Scientists estimate that in the years before industrial whaling began, baleen whale populations sank up to 1.9 million tonnes of carbon per year to the ocean bed. It has been suggested that this is equivalent to removing up to 410,000 cars from our roads each year. By contrast, killing and processing whales releases carbon back into the atmosphere… We urge the Japanese government to take this opportunity to consign whale killing to the history books and demonstrate a commitment to cetacean and planetary protection.
The status of the three species of whale killed by Japan in the North Pacific is a complex issue. The minke whale species found here (which is different to the minke species in the Southern Ocean), has a complex population structure and there has long been concerns about the vulnerability of the population known as the J-stock. The different populations cannot be told apart at sea. The sei whales is an endangered species. Sei whales in the North Pacific were heavily exploited by commercial whaling after the larger fin and blue whales were depleted. Whilst the Bryde’s whale is not regarded as endangered, its taxonomy is not yet settled; an inshore and an offshore form are widely recognized but other populations may also exist.
Remembering our beloved friend Joseph Thomas on World Chimpanzee Day
Humane Society International
Richard Ssuna, HSIFanta and her baby, pictured here, are two of the more than 60 chimpanzees living the peaceful retirement they deserve at Humane Society International’s Second Chance Chimpanzee Refuge Liberia. In March 2015, the Humane Society of the United States and Humane Society International stepped in to take over the care of this former biomedical research colony used in invasive medical experiments by a US based organization. Prior to this, the chimpanzees were left on six estuary islands without funding or infrastructure in place for their long-term care. The HSUS and HSI have since made significant improvements to the care of the chimpanzees, including daily feedings and strengthened birth control measures, as they continue to work to create a high-quality sanctuary for the chimps.
LIBERIA—Animal protection charity Humane Society International, and its sanctuary Second Chance Chimpanzee Refuge Liberia, are celebrating World Chimpanzee Day with a moving tribute to colleague Joseph Thomas who died in January this year after more than 40 years of dedicated care for over 60 retired chimpanzees in Liberia who were formerly used in invasive biomedical research. SCCRL and HSI are now embarking on an exciting new phase of sanctuary development with architectural and construction plans to build a veterinary clinic and new facilities on the chimpanzees’ island homes.
Joseph first met the chimps in 1979 when he began work at the research facility where they were being used in experiments. When civil war broke out in Liberia, and then years later Ebola devastated the country, Joseph and other local workers stayed behind at the facility and risked their own lives to care for the chimps. In the mid-2000s Joseph helped to relocate the chimpanzees to six estuary islands in the Farmington and Little Bassa rivers in western-central Liberia as research on them was being phased out. In 2015, when the research company’s funding for the animals came to an end, it was Joseph who signaled an international plea for help while he did his best to gather local resources to continue feeding the chimpanzees. His plea reached the attention of Humane Society International who stepped in to provide initial emergency funding to save the chimps. HSI has since committed to their lifetime care.
Dr. Richard Ssuna, veterinarian for Second Chance at Humane Society International, says: “These chimpanzees cannot fend for themselves because originally they were taken from the wild as babies or bred in captivity, and the islands do not have sufficient natural food sources. If Joseph and his team had not stayed behind during the civil war to feed them with whatever fruits and vegetables they could source in local markets, these animals would have starved to death. Joseph had a remarkable bond with the chimps, he knew every single one of them by name and personality. They trusted him enormously, and throughout all the years of conflict and turmoil they endured, Joseph was their one constant. His passing leaves a huge hole in our hearts and in our team, but we are determined to make Joseph proud and continue his amazing legacy.”
HSI’s team of 30 staff in Liberia provide around the clock care for the chimpanzees including preparing and feeding a nutritious diet twice a day, providing security around the chimps’ island homes, and administering high quality veterinary care and birth control programs.
HSI is now also embarking on an exciting new phase of sanctuary development, with architectural and construction plans to build a veterinary clinic and new facilities on the chimpanzees’ island homes. HSI’s new infrastructure project has now been granted the government permission it needs to go ahead, marking a new chapter for the sanctuary and the major, multi-year undertaking of temporarily relocating the chimps while construction takes place on the islands.
Amanda Gray, Second Chance program manager at Humane Society International, says: “Second Chance provides a near wild existence in mangrove forests where the chimps can roam freely, live together in social groups, and even make treetop nests at night. Some chimps like Samantha, Jiminy Cricket and Brutus are more than 40 years old, so they’ve been through a lot. But they’ve all been transformed from the malnourished, desperate chimps we first met to healthy, happy, thriving animals. We are committed to providing them with lifelong care, which could be another 60 years, so our project to build new facilities on the islands will ensure they get the best of care into the future.”
The legacy of Joseph Thomas’s love for the chimpanzees also lives on in HSI’s community education work in Liberia. HSI runs humane education programs in 25 communities and 12 schools to promote kindness and respect for animals and the environment. HSI’s Dr. Ssuna also provides regular free veterinary care and vaccinations for community dogs and cats, and the charity funds community initiatives such as repairing the local road, providing sanitation equipment to help COVID-19 prevention, as well as recruiting staff and procuring food locally for the sanctuary.
Gray concludes: “We are deeply indebted to Joseph for his tireless commitment to the chimpanzees for over 41 years and for the sacrifices he made to ensure their safety. It is truly because of his heroic dedication and devotion that the chimps in our care are alive today. The chimpanzees and his fellow teammates at Second Chance were like family to Joseph, and he was family to us.”
Please visit hsi.org to learn more about the chimpanzees and to support our work to help them and to help animals around the world.
Almost 3,000 trophies imported annually including zebra, lions, baboons and elephants
Humane Society International / Global
Cathy SmithWild African elephants
BRUSSELS—A new report published in the week marking the six- year anniversary of the killing of Cecil the lion in Zimbabwe by an American trophy hunter reveals that the European Union is the world’s second biggest hunting trophy importer after the United States. EU Trophy Hunting by the Numbers,issued by Humane Society International/Europe shows that EU countries imported nearly 15,000 hunting trophies of 73 internationally protected species between 2014 and 2018, an average of almost 3,000 trophies every year, including African lions, African elephants and critically endangered black rhinos. Zebras, cheetahs, Asia’s near threatened Argali sheep, and polar bears classified as vulnerable to extinction were also imported. Germany, Spain and Denmark accounted for 52% of all imported trophies. In the five-year period analysed, the EU imported trophies taken from 889 African lions, 229 of whom were wild lions just like Cecil.
Although media reports tend to focus on high profile U.S. trophy hunting incidents such as the killing of Cecil by dentist Walter Palmer or the dead giraffe selfie by Rebecca Francis, HSI’s report shows that the role of EU hunters in this deadly pastime is often overlooked. Europeans regularly travel to foreign countries to kill iconic species and bring home body parts for display.\
HSI’s comprehensive analysis of trade data from the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) shows that an average of 2,982 trophies are imported into the EU every year, or more than eight trophies every day. Trophy import numbers have been steadily increasing by almost 40% between 2014 and 2018 despite the fact that opinion polls show the vast majority of EU citizens (over 80%) oppose trophy hunting and want to end trophy imports.
EU trophy import statistics for individual animals (2014-2018), include:
3,119 Hartmann’s mountain zebra.
1,751 Chacma baboon.
1,415 American black bear.
1,056 brown bear.
952 African elephant.
889 African lion (of which 660 were captive-bred lions in South Africa).
839 African leopard.
794 hippopotamus.
480 caracal.
415 red lechwe.
297 cheetah—the EU is the largest importer of cheetah trophies in the world.
65 polar bears.
Six trophies of critically endangered black rhinos.
Germany, Spain, Denmark, Austria, Sweden, France, Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic and Slovakia are the top trophy importing EU Member States, with Namibia, South Africa, Canada, Russia, Argentina, Kyrgyzstan and the U.S. represent the top exporting countries to the EU. Spain, Poland, Hungary, Germany and the Czech Republic are the top importers of captive lion trophies.
Dr. Jo Swabe, senior director of public affairs, Humane Society International/Europe says: “EU trophy hunters kill for kicks many thousands of wild animals, including endangered or threatened species. In addition to the cruelty, as the world faces a biodiversity crisis, it is irresponsible to allow rich elites to shoot imperiled species for pure pleasure. Being able to have these gruesome body parts shot, stuffed, packed and shipped home for display is a major motivation for these hunters, so if more EU countries were to ban trophy imports, it would effectively help stop the killing.”
Trophy hunting has little to do with conservation or supporting local communities. Hunters pay huge sums of money to kill the strongest and most impressive animals for gratification, display and bragging rights. They enter their achievements into record books kept by trophy hunting membership organizations such as Safari Club International which ascribes competition points for killing the largest animals. Studies show that typically only 3% of money from trophy hunting ever reaches local communities. Wildlife-watching eco-tourism generates far more income and jobs to support conservation and local jobs.
Dr. Swabe from HSI/Europe says: “Killing the largest or strongest animals, who play an important ecological role in genetic diversity and resilience, jeopardises species conservation, disrupts social herd structures and weakens gene pools of wild animal populations already facing a myriad of threats. The conservation argument is a sham employed by people who know it is unsavoury to admit they simply enjoy killing animals for fun and tasteless selfies. With so much at stake, and the vast majority of EU citizens opposed to the killing, it’s time for EU member states to ban trophy imports.”
A few European countries have taken limited action to curb hunting trophy imports. France banned the import of lion trophies in 2015. The Netherlands banned trophy imports of over 200 species in 2016. In February 2021 the UK Prime Minister expressed his government’s intention to end the import of trophies, and in March this year the Finnish parliament presented a motion proposing a trophy import ban. HSI/Europe believes its analysis showing the shocking extent to which EU countries enable the global trophy hunting industry, should inspire member states to introduce comprehensive bans as quickly as possible.
Media Invite:
On 30th June, HSI/Europe will hold a webinar “Trophy Hunting: Conservation tool, or a threat to wildlife?” in collaboration with MEPs for Wildlife and other NGOs. Hosted by Manuela Ripa MEP (Greens/EFA, Germany), and with guests HSI Africa elephant biologist Dr. Audrey Delsink, WildlifeDirect CEO Dr. Paula Kahumbu, environmental lawyer Lenin Tinashe Chisaira, DG Environment’s Jorge Rodriguez, and Dr. David Scallan from the European Federation for Hunting and Conservation, the webinar will ask whether trophy hunting places unsustainable pressure on endangered species or, as claimed by its exponents, makes a contribution to wildlife conservation and local people. Register to attend.
Adeline Fischer, EU communications manager, trophy hunting: afischer@hsi.org
Wendy Higgins, director of international media (UK based): whiggins@hsi.org
Notes:
HSI/Europe obtained data for this report from the WCMC-CITES Trade Database website (https://trade.cites.org/) on March 4, 2021. Trade data for the years 2014-2018 were analysed, filtering for mammal species (“Class” = “Mammalia”) and using Comparative Tabulations, with imports calculated based on Importer Reported Quantity and Exports calculated based on Exporter Reported Quantity. To estimate the total number of mammals traded as trophies, we analyzed the term “trophies” for purposes “personal” and “hunting trophy” for all species, as well as several species-specific terms (such as “bodies”, “skins”, “rugs”, etc.) for the purpose “hunting trophy”.
A representative opinion poll conducted in March 2021 and commissioned by HSI/Europe surveyed opinion in Spain, Italy, Denmark, Germany and Poland. Results reveal that 85% of respondents do not support trophy hunting of internationally protected species. A similar proportion (81%) also feel that people should not be allowed to import trophies of dead animals from other countries.
Since 2016, the EU has overtaken the US as the world’s largest importer of captive bred lion trophies after the US listed the African lion in its Endangered Species Act.
The EU is also an exporter of hunting trophies, including foreign species and native species strictly protected under the EU Habitats Directive. The top trophies exported from the EU were from the brown bear, Barbary sheep, African leopard, hippopotamus, Hartmann’s mountain zebra, grey wolf and African elephant. The top five EU Member States exporting mammal trophies of EU and non-EU species were Romania, France, Spain, Denmark and Croatia. During the period of analysis, the EU exported 246 brown bear trophies, nine Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx) trophies and 35 grey wolf trophies. The top countries of origin for brown bear trophies exported from the EU were Romania, Sweden, Croatia, Germany and Slovenia while the primary countries of origin for Eurasian lynx trophies exported from the EU were Sweden, Russia and Latvia. Romania, Spain, Bulgaria, Latvia and Russia were the key countries of origin of grey wolf trophies exported from the EU.
Sir Paul McCartney, Dame Judi Dench, Mary McCartney, Leona Lewis, Nathalie Emmanuel, Maggie Q among stars saying no to fur
Humane Society International / United Kingdom
Dave Benett
LONDON—A host of celebrities and influencers from the world of music, film, fashion and photography have joined forces with iconic British designer Stella McCartney and global animal protection organisation Humane Society International to call for a global end to fur cruelty. Launched as part of McCartney’s Autumn 2021 ‘Our time has come’ campaign, which dropped earlier this month with a tongue-in-cheek nature mockumentary narrated by British comedian David Walliams, the celebrities posted fur-free video messages on Instagram wearing a variety of animal costumes featured in McCartney’s short film.
In the video messages, Stella McCartney, Sir Paul McCartney and Mary McCartney wearing animal head costumes, call for their audience to sign HSI’s petition to end deadly fur globally. Dame Judi Dench disguised as a bird is joined by singer Leona Lewis, actresses Nathalie Emmanuel, Maggie Q, Kat Graham and Rain Phoenix, influencer Aaliyah Ramsey, model Ariish, photographer Megan Winstone, and activists and content creators Jack Harries of Earthrise Studio and Ed Winters of Earthling Ed. The celebrity posts urge their Instagram and Twitter followers to sign Humane Society International’s petitions for a UK fur sales ban and a global end to fur farming.
The latest phase of the campaign came before the close of the British government’s Call for Evidence to consider the case for a UK fur import and sales ban, something Stella McCartney passionately supports.
Claire Bass, executive director of Humane Society International/UK, says: “Stella McCartney’s new campaign and brand is everything the fur trade isn’t –fresh, innovative, sustainable and cruelty-free. So we’re thrilled to be working with her, and to have the support of so many compassionate celebrities, to magnify the message that the age of fur fashion is dead. As the UK government considers our call for a ban on the import and sale of fur from animals who have suffered overseas, this light-hearted campaign sheds light on a serious subject – the terrible and needless cruelty that is stitched into every fur garment. The vast majority of Brits agree that the time for a #FurFreeBritain is now, and Stella McCartney is a fantastic example of how British brands can lead the world in delivering compassion in fashion.”
Having never used fur, leather, skins or feathers since it launched in 2001, Stella McCartney is asking its global community of changemakers to sign Humane Society International’s Stop Deadly Fur (North America, Europe, Asia) petition calling on all countries to ban fur farming and highlighting the trade’s danger to both human and animal lives during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Every year, over 100 million animals are killed for fur—with Stella McCartney’s use of Fur Free Fur helping prevent 60,000 animal deaths. The brand is also raising awareness for HSI’s Fur Free Britain petition, urging the UK government to ban the import and sale of fur. There is already a strong desire, with 72% of Brits supporting the proposal and a further 93% against wearing animal fur, with fur farms already illegal in the nation.
Key animal-cruelty facts:
Around 96 million animals are killed in fur farms annually, crammed into small barren wire cages for their entire short, miserable lives—unable to act out their natural behaviours such as running or digging.
Many millions of wild animals are additionally trapped for their fur each year, including over 3 million in the United States and Canada alone. Wild-roaming coyotes, wolves and foxes are caught in brutal leg hold traps, which are banned or heavily restricted in over 100 countries worldwide due to their cruelty.
Animals caught in traps can be left for days, unable to seek food, water or shelter, or protect themselves from predators, until the trapper’s bullet or boot puts them out of their misery. In their desperate struggle to break free, the animals can break their teeth or even gnaw off their own limbs.
There have been outbreaks of COVID-19 in over 400 mink farms in 12 countries across Europe and North America; not only do the mink suffer, but intensive factory fur farms have the potential to act as reservoirs for deadly viruses such as COVID-19 that could affect both human and animal health.
ENDS
Media Contact:
Wendy Higgins, Humane Society International, director of international media: whiggins@hsi.org
Sir Paul McCartney, Dame Judi Dench, Mary McCartney, Leona Lewis, Nathalie Emmanuel, Maggie Q among stars saying no to fur
Humane Society International
Dave Benett
LONDON—A host of celebrities and influencers from the world of music, film, fashion and photography have joined forces with iconic British designer Stella McCartney and global animal protection organisation Humane Society International to call for a global end to fur cruelty. Launched as part of McCartney’s Autumn 2021 ‘Our time has come’ campaign, which dropped earlier this month with a tongue-in-cheek nature mockumentary narrated by British comedian David Walliams, the celebrities posted fur-free video messages on Instagram wearing a variety of animal costumes featured in McCartney’s short film.
In the video messages, Stella McCartney, Sir Paul McCartney and Mary McCartney wearing animal head costumes, call for their audience to sign HSI’s petition to end deadly fur globally. Dame Judi Dench disguised as a bird is joined by singer Leona Lewis, actresses Nathalie Emmanuel, Maggie Q, Kat Graham and Rain Phoenix, influencer Aaliyah Ramsey, model Ariish, photographer Megan Winstone, and activists and content creators Jack Harries of Earthrise Studio and Ed Winters of Earthling Ed. The celebrity posts urge their Instagram and Twitter followers to sign Humane Society International’s petitions for a UK fur sales ban and a global end to fur farming.
The latest phase of the campaign comes before the close of the British government’s Call for Evidence to consider the case for a UK fur import and sales ban, something Stella McCartney passionately supports.
Donna Gadomski, senior director of external affairs at Humane Society International, says: “Stella McCartney is a leading light in the global trend of sustainable, fur-free fashion, so we are so honoured to collaborate with her for this exciting initiative calling for a global end to fur cruelty. The celebrities standing with us join the voices of millions of compassionate consumers across the globe calling for an end to fur fashion. Every petition signature counts in our fight to stop animals on fur factory farms enduring deprivation and anguish, and animals trapped and drowned in the wild suffering terribly too—simply for fashion items no-one needs.”
Having never used fur, leather, skins or feathers since it launched in 2001, Stella McCartney is asking its global community of changemakers to sign Humane Society International’s Stop Deadly Fur (North America, Europe, Asia) petition calling on all countries to ban fur farming and highlighting the trade’s danger to both human and animal lives during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Every year, over 100 million animals are killed for fur—with Stella McCartney’s use of Fur Free Fur helping prevent 60,000 animal deaths. The brand is also raising awareness for HSI’s Fur Free Britain petition, urging the UK government to ban the import and sale of fur. There is already a strong desire, with 72% of Brits supporting the proposal and a further 93% against wearing animal fur, with fur farms already illegal in the nation.
Key animal-cruelty facts:
Around 96 million animals are killed in fur farms annually, crammed into small barren wire cages for their entire short, miserable lives—unable to act out their natural behaviours such as running or digging.
Many millions of wild animals are additionally trapped for their fur each year, including over 3 million in the United States and Canada alone. Wild-roaming coyotes, wolves and foxes are caught in brutal leg hold traps, which are banned or heavily restricted in over 100 countries worldwide due to their cruelty.
Animals caught in traps can be left for days, unable to seek food, water or shelter, or protect themselves from predators, until the trapper’s bullet or boot puts them out of their misery. In their desperate struggle to break free, the animals can break their teeth or even gnaw off their own limbs.
There have been outbreaks of COVID-19 in over 400 mink farms in 12 countries across Europe and North America; not only do the mink suffer, but intensive factory fur farms have the potential to act as reservoirs for deadly viruses such as COVID-19 that could affect both human and animal health.
ENDS
Media Contact:
Wendy Higgins, Humane Society International, director of international media: whiggins@hsi.org
An historic moment in the fight to end cruel fur fashion, says Humane Society International
Humane Society International / Canada
Nathan Hobbs/iStock.com
MONTREAL—Canada Goose has today announced that it will end the use of all fur in its products. The brand will end the purchase of fur by the end of 2021 and end manufacturing products with fur by the end of 2022.
Rebecca Aldworth, Humane Society International/Canada’s executive director, responds: “We applaud Canada Goose for taking this compassionate and fashion-forward decision to end its relationship with fur. This is an historic moment in the fight to end cruel fur fashion. Canada Goose’s trademark parka jackets with coyote fur trim can now be replaced with fur-free garments that symbolise sustainable, cruelty-free fashion fit for the twenty first century consumer. This is a major step forward for animal protection and also a sign of changing consumer habits. Clearly, the future of fashion is fur free.”
ENDS
Media Contact: Wendy Higgins, director of international media: whiggins@hsi.org
Policies developed in partnership with HSI/Canada will come into effect by end of year
Rebecca Aldworth, executive director of Humane Society International/Canada, stated:
“Holt Renfrew’s progressive suite of sustainability commitments, including ending the sale of animal fur and exotic animal skins, is a tremendous step forward for animal protection and also a sign of changing consumer habits. Today’s consumers are increasingly informed and motivated to ensure that their purchases are cruelty-free and sustainable. We commend Holt Renfrew for these progressive commitments and the company’s leadership role in reflecting compassion in fashion. Clearly, the future of fashion is fur free.”
ENDS
Media Contact: Michael Bernard, HSI/Canada, deputy director: 613-371-5170; mbernard@hsi.org
‘Utilizing the skin and fur of wildlife for the fashion industry is immoral.’
Humane Society International / United Kingdom
RT-Images/iStock.com
LONDON—Israel has become the first country in the world to ban the sale of fur for frivolous fashion, effective 6 months from now, with a few exceptions. Humane Society International/UK, which leads the #FurFreeBritain campaign for a UK fur sales ban, hopes Israel’s ban will inspire the British government to follow its lead and also ban fur sales, a move supported by 72% of Brits in recent YouGov and Yonder opinion polls. The UK was the first country in the world to ban the fur farming in 2003, but the import and sale of fur is still allowed. The UK government has launched a Call for Evidence to consider the case for a ban.
Israel’s ban allows exemptions for the use of fur in ‘scientific research, education or instruction, and for religious purposes or tradition.’ This would, for example, permit the sale of shtreimels—fur hats traditionally worn on Shabbat and holidays by Orthodox men. A similar exemption exists in the US state of California where fur sales were banned in 2019. HSI/UK believes a UK fur sales ban would mirror those exemptions, but nonetheless still end the suffering of millions of animals whose fur is imported to the UK from fur farms overseas.
Claire Bass, executive director of Humane Society International/UK, said: “This is a truly historic day for animal protection, with Israel becoming the first country in the world to ban the sale of fur fashion. Even with the exemption for traditional dress, without which this ban was unlikely to have succeeded, Israel’s fur ban will save the lives of millions of animals suffering on fur farms or languishing in cruel traps around the world, and it sends a clear message that fur is unethical, unnecessary and outdated. We now call on the British government to follow Israel’s compassionate lead and implement a UK fur import and sales ban once DEFRA’s Call for Evidence is completed. For as long as the UK remains open for business to sell fur that we deemed too cruel to farm here two decades ago, we are complicit in this cruelty.”
Environmental protection minister, Gila Gamliel, passed the ban into law, and issued a statement after signing the regulations: “The fur industry causes the deaths of hundreds of millions of animals worldwide, and inflicts indescribable cruelty and suffering. Using the skin and fur of wildlife for the fashion industry is immoral and is certainly unnecessary. Animal fur coats cannot cover the brutal murder industry that makes them. Signing these regulations will make the Israeli fashion market more environmentally friendly and far kinder to animals.”
Jane Halevy, founder of the International Anti-Fur Coalition (IAFC) which has been working towards the ban for over a decade, said: “The IAFC has promoted a bill to ban the sale of fur in Israel since 2009, and we applaud the Israeli government for finally taking the historic leap towards making fur for fashion history. All animals suffer horrifically at the hands of this cruel and backwards industry. Nothing is stronger than an idea whose time has come. Killing animals for fur should become illegal everywhere – it is high time that governments worldwide ban the sale of fur.”
Fur farming has been banned across the UK since 2003, and has been prohibited and/or is in the process of being phased-out in numerous European nations such as Austria, Belgium, Bosnia-Herzegovina, the Czech Republic, Croatia, Macedonia, the Netherlands, Norway, Luxembourg, Serbia, Slovakia and Slovenia. Most recently the parliament in Estonia voted in favour of a fur farming ban, Hungary declared a ban on the farming of animals including mink and foxes, in France politicians are currently debating a ban on mink fur farming and the Irish government has made a commitment to bring forward legislation in 2021.
Views around fur have changed rapidly in recent years, with more and more fashion designers, including Gucci, Prada, Chanel, Burberry, Versace and Armani, adopting fur-free policies, and the majority of UK high street shops being proudly fur free. A 2020 YouGov opinion poll, commissioned by HSI/UK, also reveals that 93% of the British population reject wearing real animal fur, and the majority (72%) support a ban on the sale of fur in the UK. A 2021 Yonder opinion poll confirmed that 72% of Brits would support a UK fur import and sales ban. Along with British citizens, animal protection groups, local celebrities, cross-party politicians, and even the former CEO of the British Fur Trade Association have pledged their support for a #FurFreeBritain.
In the United States, California became the first US state to ban fur sales in 2019 following similar bans in cities including Los Angeles, San Francisco, Berkeley and West Hollywood. In 2020, legislators in Hawaii and Rhode Island introduced fur sales ban proposals, as have cities in Minnesota and Massachusetts.
