Fur producer: “If people were consistent, meat consumption should also be banned”

Ralph Steiner

No Röstigraben with the Pelz initiative. Unlike the case of foie gras, both German-speaking Switzerland and French-speaking Switzerland support a ban on the import of fur products produced using animal cruelty.

Approval among the population of German-speaking Switzerland stands at 93 percent. In French-speaking Switzerland this is 71 percent, according to a representative study by Watson.

On average, the value is 89 percent, so both language areas clearly support the popular initiative, which was established about two weeks ago with 113,474 valid signatures.

Initiator Katharina Büttiker – her association is also behind the foie gras initiative – told Watson that she was very happy with the research results. The animal rights activist says: “We knew that there were bills in parliament to ban the import of fur. Nevertheless, we wanted to launch this initiative to give the project another impetus.”

So far, a ban on the import of fur has not been passed by parliament. If a corresponding proposal is submitted, a lobby will arise and the project will be rejected. SP national councilor Matthias Aebischer tells Watson: “I am satisfied with the research results. The fur trader lobby has repeatedly covered up the tortured fur trade. The initiative must now put an end to these machinations.”

The Fur Initiative calls for a ban on the import of fur products that come from abused animals. According to the initiators, Switzerland imports around 350 tons of fur every year, half of which comes from China. As a result, about 1.5 million animals live painful lives. They are gassed, electrocuted or skinned alive.

In addition to Asia, skins from Finland, Denmark, Russia, the US, Canada, the Netherlands, Norway and Poland also come to Switzerland. According to the initiators, the animals in these countries are “kept under the most terrible conditions”.

The Federal Council has now taken action. They want to consider an import ban on hides from quality production. It is expected that Federal Councilor Elisabeth Baume-Schneider’s Ministry of the Interior will develop a template by the end of March 2024.

Since 2012, there has been a mandatory declaration for fur sold in Switzerland. The origin, husbandry and breed of the animals must be recorded on a piece of paper. However, the system does not work, writes the NZZ.

In 2022, 66 percent of inspected fur was incorrectly declared or not declared at all. Moreover, there is generally too little control because the Federal Office for Food Safety and Veterinary Affairs has no resources.

Warnings and fines are issued for violations, but little improvement has been made. This could change with the popular initiative for a ban on the import of fur.

Anja Marquardt would also be affected by a ban. The German-born woman runs her own workshop in the canton of Lucerne and has been selling and processing fur products there for more than 20 years. But Marquardt has unanswered questions: “The Swiss market is extremely small, the figures from the initiative committee cannot be correct. If you have an imported Canada Goose coat with a fur collar, the entire coat has probably been weighed, or they weigh the hangers as well.”

The photos and videos of tortured animals circulating on the Internet also had nothing to do with reality. However, they stuck in people’s minds, Marquardt says.

Would accepting the popular initiative for a fur import ban have existential consequences for Marquardt? “In a way it would almost be a professional ban, because everyone would think that fur is banned. Only the import of products that are cruel to animals according to Swiss standards would be banned.” Fortunately, there are also other skins. For example, Marquardt processes Swiss red fox, rabbit and lamb.

Marquardt describes the research results as ‘hypocritical’. She says:

The 47-year-old considers her work ethical, especially since she has already voluntarily given up fur from China. “I have nothing to do with this torture.” However, the research shows: “The fur industry lobby is definitely too small; animal rights activists are much better positioned.”

In addition to foie gras, former Green National Councilor Meret Schneider also supports an import ban on fur products. It makes sense to her that the people of French-speaking Switzerland support such a ban on fur, unlike foie gras. “When it comes to consumption and food, such as foie gras, emotions run particularly high. Then people are very attached to traditions. Fur, on the other hand, has no tradition in French-speaking Switzerland or in Switzerland as a whole.”