City of Sydney moves to sale of ban fur, exotic skins at markets on council grounds
Lord Mayor Clover Moore will write to Peter Dutton calling on the Federal Government to consider prohibiting fur imports, and the State Government to establish a ‘fake fur’ taskforce.
Central Sydney
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Revelations of “harrowing” conditions and kill methods in the animal trade has moved the City of Sydney to investigate banning the sale of fur and exotic skins on council grounds.
Lord Mayor Clover Moore will also write to Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton calling on the Federal Government to consider prohibiting imported fur products, and to introduce random forensic testing of imported products potentially masquerading as “fake fur” items.
At Monday’s council meeting, Cr Moore moved to explore amending the council’s markets policy and event guidelines to formally ban the sale of fur products, mislabelled fake fur products and exotic animal skins at markets and stalls on council owned land.
She said recent forensic tests on so-called “fake fur” clothing and toys at Melbourne’s popular Queen Victoria and South Melbourne markets had revealed some products were actually made from raccoon and raccoon dog fur.
“Animals are being kept in small cages unable to act out their natural behaviours, after which they are killed in harrowing ways including electrocution, bludgeoning or being skinned alive,” she said.
“Increased awareness of this cruelty has reduced consumer demand for fur products, but recent exposés have shown that some producers and vendors are now mislabelling fur products as ‘fake fur’.
“Similarly, the trade in exotic animal skins, such as snakes, alligators, crocodiles and other reptiles is cruel and has significant negative environmental impacts, with wild animals removed from their native habitat and harvested for skins.”
Under the Local Government Act councils can establish policies and approval criteria for the use of its land, meaning any changes to market and event policies prohibiting such products being sold would be protected by law.
Community groups and operators must obtain all necessary approvals from the council before being able to set up shop.
“While ending the trade in fur and exotic animal skins requires action by federal and state governments, we are now supporting this effort by investigating whether mislabelled fake fur is being sold at City of Sydney markets, and how we might amend our markets policy to prohibit the sale of these products on our land,” Cr Moore said.
In the meantime council staff will undertake “observational reviews” of fur or potentially mislabelled fake fur products being sold at markets on council grounds.
Cr Moore will also pen a letter to Kevin Anderson, the NSW Minister for Better Regulation and Innovation, requesting a fake fur taskforce be set up to tackle the tactic of mislabelled products and discover how widespread the issue is.
The taskforce could follow a similar model to the one established in Victoria last year, approved after a push by Animal Justice Party MP Andy Meddick.
NSW Animal Justice Party MP Emma Hurst has worked with Cr Moore to push for the ban, and believed other councils would follow suit.
Ms Hurst urged anyone with vintage coats to donate them to Snuggle Coats – an organisation turning old fur into pouches for orphaned wildlife.
“This fantastic first step by Clover Moore and the City of Sydney to ban fur sales will cement them as the most progressive council here in Australia,” she said.
“The Animal Justice Party are proud to work closely with Clover on this issue and will continue to work with Council to see this become a reality.
“It is time- the cruelty of the fur trade is well known and fur is not considered fashion. Fur is simply dead.”
