California becomes 1st US state to ban fur
London: California will become the first US state to ban the sale and manufacture of new fur products and the third to bar most animals from circus performances under a pair of bills signed on Saturday by the governor, Gavin Newsom.
The law will bar residents from selling or making clothing, shoes or handbags with fur, starting in 2023. Animal rights groups cheered the measure as a stand against inhumane practices. The proposal was vigorously opposed by the billion-dollar US fur industry, while the Fur Information Council of America has already threatened to sue.
It follows Newsom’s signing of legislation that makes California the first state to outlaw fur trapping and follows bans on sales of fur in Los Angeles and San Francisco, the Guardian reported.
“California is a leader when it comes to animal welfare, and today that leadership includes banning the sale of fur,” Newsom said. “But we are doing more than that. We are making a statement to the world that beautiful wild animals like bears and tigers have no place on trapeze wires or jumping through flames.”
The fur ban does not apply to used products or those made for religious or tribal purposes. It excludes the sale of leather, dog and cat fur, cowhides, deer, sheep and goat skin, and anything preserved through taxidermy. It could mark a significant blow to the fur industry that makes products from animals including mink, chinchillas, rabbits and other animals. The US retail fur industry brought in $1.5bn in sales in 2014.