MP calls for ban on animal fur imports

Clwyd South MP Susan Elan Jones has called for a ban on the importation of animal fur.

Speaking in a debate in Parliament she reminded other MPs that it was almost 20 years since fur farming had been made illegal in this country and that new tougher legislation was vital to tackle the importation of fur from other countries.

Speaking after the debate, Ms Jones said: "When it became illegal to 'farm' animals for fur in England and Wales in 2000, I don't think anyone would have thought that the fur of two million animals would be imported here every year from other countries.

"Many of these animals are kept in terrible conditions. The animals are usually artificially fattened and spend their whole lives in tiny cages before being killed by gas or electrocution. That isn't right and I really welcome the fact that stores like Gucci and House of Frazer are now refusing to stock fur products.

"However, with public petitions having been signed by half a million people and national opinion polls showing that 69% of the British population support a complete ban, I think it's high time that the Government took action. Fur imports are cruel and unnecessary and we need the Government to show the political will to ban them."   

Figures from charity Humane Society International (HSI), which spearheaded the campaign, claim that more than £74 million worth of animal fur was imported into the UK in 2017.

The UN Comtrade database, which lists international import and export figures, shows around £20m worth of tanned or dressed fur skins - including items such as heads, tails or paws - were imported.

Meanwhile a letter from 50 vets and animal experts states that denying wild animals the chance to roam freely, keeping them in close proximity to one another, is unnatural and leads to psychological stresses - with instances of cannibalism, untreated wounds, foot deformities and eye infections being "well-documented".