Animal Guardians in China: The Fur Industry
-
An Introduction to the Fur Industry in China
Fur farming is the practice of breeding or raising certain types of animals for their fur.
Fur used from animals caught in the wild is not considered farmed fur, and is instead known as ‘wild fur’. Most of the world’s farmed fur is produced by European farmers. There are 6,000 fur farms in the European Union (EU). The EU accounts for 63% of global mink production and 70% of fox production. Denmark is the leading mink-producing country, accounting for approximately 28% of world production. Other major producers include China, the Netherlands, the Baltic states, and the U.S. Finland is the largest United States supplier of fox pelts. The United States is a major exporter of furskins. Major export markets include China, Russia, Canada, and the EU. Exports to Asia as a share of total exports grew from 22% in 1998 to 47% in 2002. China is the largest importer of fur pelts in the world and the largest exporter of finished fur products.
Fur farming is banned in Austria, Croatia (started on 1 January 2007, with a 10-year phase out period), and the United Kingdom. In Switzerland, the regulations for fur farming are very strict, with the result that there are no fur farms. Some other countries have a ban on fur farming of certain types of animals.
Demand fell in the late 1980s and 1990s because of a number of factors, including the failure of designers to come up with exciting new lines, and also the efforts of animal rights campaigners. Since the turn of the millennium, however, sales worldwide have soared to record highs, fueled by radically new techniques for working with fur, and a sharp rise in disposable income in China and Russia. This growing demand has led to the development of extensive fur farming operations in China and Poland.
READ MOREThe State Forestry Administration (SFA) is set to offer training courses for fur farmers. Legislation was drafted in September 2009 to address any cruelty to animals in China. If passed, the legislation would regulate how farm animals are raised, transported, and slaughtered.
In 2005, the animals right group, The Swiss Animal Protection, accused the Chinese of skinning fur-bearing animals including the “Asiatic raccoon” (raccoon dog) while still alive, and produced a controversial video on the issue. The China Fur Commission and China Leather Industry Association challenged the authenticity of the video, stating: “Pictures showing animals being skinned alive are obviously plotted. All those with common sense would not choose this slaughter method to attain fur.” The government of Suning County, Hebei Province, also issued a statement, outlining welfare practices it claimed to practice on its fur farms and calling the alleged practice of skinning animals alive “unimaginable.”
Swiss Animal Protection later published a video showing the live skinning of raccoon dogs and other canines. The video shows raccoon dogs being beaten with sticks and thrown against the ground in an attempt to stun them before being hung from their rear legs and skinned alive. In another film, a worker begins to cut the skin and fur from an animal’s leg. The animal is still breathing and kicking. The free limbs kick and writhes, making it difficult for the worker to cut the skin from the animal’s body. The worker stamps on the animal’s neck and head. One investigator filmed a raccoon dog being skinned alive before being thrown onto a heap of carcasses. After the skinning, the animal still had enough strength to lift its bloodied head and stare into the camera.
Several local Chinese animal welfare groups have reported these cruel practices as commonplace.
-
Take action for animals used for fur in China
-
News about the Chinese fur trade
-
Facts about the Chinese fur trade
-
Articles, essays, and commentary about the Chinese fur trade
-
Resources in the struggle to end the Chinese fur trade
We no longer need fur for warmth and protection. There are plenty of textiles that provide that today. It’s pure whim and vanity to choose to wear fur. It shows a level of ignorance or lack of concern that reflects poorly on the wearer.
Tim Gunn Tim Gunn’s Fashion Bible: The Fascinating History of Everything in Your ClosetVIDEO GALLERYThe film is a powerful statement on how factory animals are being treated, and asks the all-important question: What are we humans allowed to do to animals? Inside Fur is a creative documentary film that shook Norway. The film has so far been screened on TV in the Nordic countries and has started its festival life by winning several awards, honorable mentions, and nominations.
Raccoon Dogs Skinned Alive
The film is a powerful statement on how factory animals are being treated, and asks the all-important question: What are we humans allowed to do to animals? Inside Fur is a creative documentary film that shook Norway. The film has so far been screened on TV in the Nordic countries and has started its festival life by winning several awards, honorable mentions, and nominations.
One Life in the Angora Wool Industry
In the angora wool industry, workers often violently rip the fur out of rabbits’ sensitive skin. Rabbits frequently scream out in pain. After this terrifying and barbaric ordeal, which the rabbits endure every three months, many of them appear to go into severe shock. After two to five years, those who have survived are hung upside down, their throats are slit, and their carcasses are sold for meat.
