Hong Kong fur fair facing more protests as Russian financial crisis hits trade
As world's largest fur fashion exhibition opens, animal rights activists slam 'cruel and bloody' trade while firms fear dip in orders from Russia
Hong Kong furriers welcomed the opening of the world's largest fur fashion event yesterday as local animal rights activists upped their fight against the trade and sales to largest market Russia looked set to stumble.
The annual Hong Kong International Fur and Fashion Fair is one aspect of the city's position as a global fur hub - which brought HK$1.8 billion in exports in 2014, with 75 per cent of the world's fur and fur garments re-exported through the city, according to the Hong Kong Fur Federation.
Animal rights group Centre of God's Love for Animals stepped up their campaign against the trade yesterday with a full-page advertisement in Apple Daily displaying a 175-strong petition against the trade. "We pledged to love animals and be anti-fur because we think fur is a cruel and bloody product," said Carmen Chan Wai-man, the group's executive officer.
Animal rights groups plan to stage a second annual protest against the industry on the final day of the fair on Saturday.
The Hong Kong Fur Federation said 95 per cent of the fur used by its members comes from European and North American farms that are subject to strict welfare standards.
"Because of the nature of the industry, if the animal is mistreated, if they become sick, the first thing that happens is they have scars or they have skin illness and this is detrimental to the price of the fur," said federation director Fritz Chen Tsun-ni.