Fur Sales Have Soared Over The Past Five Years

Thursday, December 5, 2013

It's been a good half-decade for Canadian fur. A recent Statistics Canada report shows mink pelt sales at $245 million for 2012, more than double 2008's sales of $91 million. Other furs, such as muskrat, are also selling well.

Alan Herscovici, executive vice-president of the Montreal-based Fur Council of Canada, told The London Free Press that he believes the surge is due to a few different factors. For one thing, fur isn't just coats anymore; it's now used in a variety of different ways including parka trim (as seen on the ubiquitous Canada Goose parkas), scarves and purses.

Designers in Italy, France and England have been featuring fur on their runways; according to council numbers, 10 times more designers are offering fur than they were in 1992. New markets have emerged in Russia and among China's growing middle class.

"The market is very strong . . . It is good news for the people on the land in Canada," said Herscovici. Most of the country's fur farm industry is in Ontario and Nova Scotia, comprising approximately 16 and 53 per cent of the nation's pelts respectively.

It is, however, bad news for animal rights groups such as People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), who have been loudly opposing the fur industry for years. Perhaps they will have to find a way to top their long-standing "I'd Rather Go Naked than Wear Fur" campaign, which sees protesters and celebrities go nearly naked for the cause.

Let the fur fly! BF