MPs to investigate after unsuspecting shoppers duped into buying real fur Animal lovers are “delighted” that MPs have launched an inquiry into the UK’s “fake faux fur” trade. The Environment, Food […]

Animal lovers are “delighted” that MPs have launched an inquiry into the UK’s “fake faux fur” trade.

The Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee (EFRAC) is investigating after it emerged that unsuspecting shoppers had been duped into purchasing real fur items that were being passed off as fake.

Illegal fur trade

Ministers will examine how the industry can be made more transparent for shoppers and will also explore how Brexit could provide an opportunity for the UK Government to look at legislation around the import of fur.

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What is the law surrounding fur? Fur farming was banned in the UK in 2000 and EU regulations ban trade in fur from domestic cats, dogs and commercial seal hunts. But we still import and sell fur from a range of other species such as fox, rabbit, mink, coyote, racoon dog and chinchillas. And a spate of cases where real fur was billed as fake fur by major high-street and online retailers have come to light recently. This “fake faux fur” was made from a variety of animals including rabbit, fox and chinchilla.

Our #fakefauxfur investigation items are all labelled and will be ready to present to the @CommonsEFRA #fur inquiry! We’re looking forward to making the case for a #FurFreeBritain, delighted our campaign has helped achieve this milestone. pic.twitter.com/cw88fAMwSG — HSI United Kingdom (@HSIUKorg) February 7, 2018

“Retailers have a duty of care to their customers who have the right to know what they are buying,” said Neil Parish, chair of the EFRAC.

“Our inquiry will determine where responsibility lies for the increase in illegal fur sales, and identify the steps that need to be taken to stop it in its tracks,” he added.

Unsuspecting public

Claire Bass, executive director of the animal protection organisation Humane Society International UK (HSI UK) said the group was “delighted” that the inquiry would take place.

“Since banning fur farming in the UK we have been importing hundreds of millions of pounds of fur from farms overseas, much of it from countries such as China with little or no animal welfare regulations at all,” Ms Bass said. “If that wasn’t bad enough, our investigations have found that much of this cheap fur is then being passed off as fake fur, and sold to unsuspecting consumers who want nothing to do with this cruel trade. “The vast majority of the British public support an animal fur import ban and it is exciting that this sentiment is being echoed by MPs from across the political spectrum,” Ms Bass added.

Brexit opportunity

As a member of the EU single market, under rules relating to free movement of goods the UK is not currently at liberty to ban the import of animal fur, which is farmed in several European countries.

However, Ms Bass, said, Brexit gives the government “the freedom to reflect the public’s distaste for all fur and close our borders fully to this cruel and outdated trade”.

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