One stall at the South Melbourne Market, visited this week by The Age, was selling beanies made in China labelled as “rabbit blend”. However, when the product was sent for laboratory testing, the results revealed that the "hairs in this item indicated that they consistent with raccoon (Procyon lotor) or raccoon dog (Nyctereutes procyonoides).” A mislabelled beanie. Credit:Luis Enrique Ascui At the Queen Victoria Market another fashion stall recently sold a jacket with fur around its hood, which the stallholder described as “faux fur”. Laboratory tests found it was real fur, and also most likely from raccoon or raccoon dog. Raccoons are mammals native to north-America, while raccoon dogs – named for their similar appearance, but part of the wild dog family – are prominent throughout Asia and Europe. However, their existence in the fur trade is contentious, particularly in countries like China where undercover investigations have recently shown that they are kept in cages for months waiting to be “processed” and can be killed through gassing, anal electrocution, or by being skinned alive or bludgeoned to death.

The revelations have appalled consumers and politicians from all sides of the political aisle, who have called on the Andrews government to act. Animal Justice MP and key crossbencher Andy Meddick urged the government to create a fur taskforce to capture stores and markets that are flouting the law. “The expectation of consumers is they’re buying something that is labelled correctly, but they’re often being deceived and we don’t know how far this goes,” said Mr Meddick, whose party discovered the raccoon fur items. “It is entirely possible that this is right across the retail sector.” If true, these reports are horrifying. Nobody should profit from the barbaric illegal fur trade. Opposition leader Michael O'Brien Opposition Leader Michael O’Brien said: “If true, these reports are horrifying. Nobody should profit from the barbaric illegal fur trade. The Andrews government must explain if this trade has occurred in any of Victoria’s markets and, if so, how it will be shut down immediately.” Consumer laws make it illegal to make false or misleading representations about products, with criminal penalties of up to $500,000 for individuals and $10 million for companies. But critics say the laws are confusing, too broad, and are ineffectively policed.

A government spokeswoman said Consumer Affairs Minister Marlene Kairouz had asked Consumer Affairs Victoria to “make enquiries into this issue and work with Mr Meddick to investigate further”. “Following this, Consumer Affairs Victoria will undertake marketplace inspections where required to ensure trader obligations under the Australia Consumer Law are being adhered to,” the spokeswoman said. The Animal Justice Party recently teamed up with animal charity Four Paws to collect 12 items from the South Melbourne and Queen Victoria markets. They were sent for testing at Forensic Science and Wildlife Matters, which provides expertise and advice to law enforcement authorities, conservationists, and the public. One jacket, with a fur trim around the hood, was labelled as “100% polyester Made in China”, but testing confirmed the hairs were from a raccoon or raccoon dog. Another item was labelled "Brim and Brown 100 per cent rabbit blend", but test results found "the appearance of the medulla and the shaft of hairs in this item indicated that they are inconsistent with rabbit ... but consistent with raccoon ... or raccoon dog".

This item had no label, but includes fur from a rabbit. Credit:Luis Enrique Ascui One item did contain rabbit fur – a koala bag tag from the Queen Victoria market – but it was not labelled as such. The test results showed how confusing the labelling system is. One item was labelled "Husk Balaclava Husk Mystic Leather". However, the testing confirmed that "this item contained hairs not synthetic fibres". The actual animal could not identified due to heavy dyeing. Queen Victoria Market chief executive Stan Liacos said: "Queen Victoria Market are unaware of raccoon and/or raccoon dog fur being sold at the market," adding: "We certainly do not condone the sale of any goods of this nature." The stallholder at Queen Victoria Market, whom The Age has chosen not to name, insisted he had not mislabelled any of his products and that the jacket contained faux fur.

“We buy from the wholesaler and we don’t change labels,” he said. He claimed the wholesaler, in inner Melbourne, supplied products to many stallholders. South Melbourne Market committee chair Jo Plummer said fur products were not banned at South Melbourne Market, but “stallholders are required to provide certification that genuine fur items they stock are sourced ethically as a byproduct of another industry” (for example, the meat production industry). A jacket with a mislabelled hood. Credit:Luis Enrique Ascui “A recent audit in May 2019 established that all genuine fur products being sold at the market had the required certification,” she added. Treated raccoon fur is not a prohibited import item in Australia, although fur sales in general have declined significantly in recent years. This month, the Queen announced she would buy only faux pieces for her personal wardrobe from now on.