Hong Kong fur show set to open to public for first time ever despite protest by animal rights activists outside venue
- A dozen activists assemble outside Convention and Exhibition Centre on first day of Hong Kong International Fur Fair, with three protesters posing as animals in cages
- Trade show organiser Hong Kong Fur Federation says industry complies with international law, hitting out at ‘slander’ by opposition
Hong Kong furriers are seeking to improve transparency and dispel ethical concerns about the industry by opening an annual trade show to the public for the first time, even as protesting animal rights activists call for an end to the business.
The Hong Kong Fur Federation, organiser of the Hong Kong International Fur and Fashion Fair, said on Thursday the public would be allowed in for the first time since the event’s inauguration in the 1980s, in a bid to educate consumers about the industry’s sustainability efforts.
Honorary chairman Eric Lau Pui-kit said the fur industry had silently suffered attacks by animal activists until the federation changed its mind in recent years.
“If we don’t tell you our side of the story, you will only hear that fur is bad. We want to tell the world that we are also in line with sustainability goals,” he said.
The fair opened on Thursday at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre in Wan Chai and runs until Sunday, with the public allowed in over the weekend.