The Fur Keeps Flying, Part II

What about Nutria? They were also originally introduced by fur ranchers to habitats they now destroy.

I would say that if these companies are making a concerted effort to aid in the elimination of an invasive species that this is a good thing. But it is my understanding that this is not the case. Certainly at those prices they aren't selling many pelts. So it just seems like the fur industry is taking advantage of a situation they historically helped create.

For more than 10 years, the fur industry has tried to "green" its image by claiming, among other things, that real fur garments are more environmentally friendly than fake furs. However, it takes nearly three times more energy, to produce a fur coat from a wild animal as it does to produce a synthetic fur, according to a study by Gregory Smith, a transportation research engineer at the University of Michigan. Included in Smith's calculations were the energy costs of skinning, pelt drying, transportation, processing and manufacture of real fur garments. Much of this energy is derived from petroleum products.

Environmentally harmful chemicals, including chromium and formaldehyde, are used in the processing of real fur garments to keep them from rotting. In 1991, six New Jersey fur processors were fined more than $2 million for releasing toxic waste into the environment. Far from being "natural, renewable resources" real fur products consume more of our precious irreplaceable nergy resources than do those made from synthetic materials.

The bottom line is that if you consider yourself green or are aspiring to be greener, then you should just say no to fur.

Well, these two preceding comments have just summarised certain types of North American ignorance about something not in their own backyards.

Possums were not introduced to NZ for fur farming. They were introduced by early settlers who wanted to "restock" the "missing" mammals that NZ didn't have. Australia has many mammals - NZ only has two native ones, bats, which aren't a great protein source. Unfortunately, the early perception was that NZ "should" have possums (and wallabies) as well. Thank god the wallabies didn't take.

The possums are unequivocally pests. There are no native possum predators in NZ, nor any introduced ones either. Well, introduced stoats compete for the same food sources: native flora (seeds, fruits, young foliage), insects and birds. As as result, native creatures are being starved out of their environments, if not completely denuded (stoats eat bird eggs and young hatchlings, while possums eat everything else).

The possums are trapped or hunted. They are *never* farmed. As the article mentions, this is *way* better than the traditional method of dropping 1080 poison all over the native forest (which was the *only* method of control up until the development of the possum fur industry in the late 80s). If there wasn't this kind of control, much of the virgin or regenerated bush (forest) would be eaten to the ground in possum-infested areas.

As for the comments that the cost of the premium pelts means that it's not a serious means of control, super-expensive pelts are only part of the equation. It's similar to the difference to wool and sheepskins. Entire "furniture-quality" sheepskins cost a lot of money due to the level of processing they require to make them attractive. Processing the wool is much more economic. Possum fur is most commonly used in non-pelt form as a fibre source for knitted garments. I have possum and merino fibre gloves and a scarf, and they are the best knitted things I've ever owned. Nicer than cashmere, and you're not feeding exotic beasts in a pasture to get it. Possum fur is mixed with other wools and fibres such as silk. Also, smaller or lower-quality pelts are used for glove linings and the like. These goods are ubiquitous in NZ.

It's still relatively early days for the industry, so I imagine that some top-end prices will reduce as time goes on. However, I'll keep buying my possum fur knitted goods, and enjoy the fact I'm helping to relieve the possum problem while reducing the likelihood of more 1080 poison drops.

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thanks for a little more background on this issue - I would like to know why the perception exists that possum were introduced for a fur trade if that isn't the case?
Also, Trix, it sounds like you might be a New Zealander - any idea about post-processing of the fur - it's a messy, chemical business isn't it?

I don't want to sound too disingenuous - it's probable that *part* of the reason that possums were introduced was as a fur/fibre/leather source - they were certainly easier to grow in the thick forests of the late 19th century than sheep before the land was deforested. But they weren't farmed, and never have been.

As for preparing the fur, I imagine that tanning the pelts is just as toxic is all the other tanning that goes on. However, in the context of the level of damage they cause, the fact that tanning of cow, sheep and deer hides goes on anyway, and with the hope that tanning residues disposal and the actual process gets managed properly (and continues to improve), I think it's an acceptable cost.

It's certainly more humane than running the pests over on the highway, which is what I used to do to "do my bit"! Sure, it'd be better that they were never introduced in the first place, but the early settlers were trying to "enhance" the land's resources, much like the introduction of rabbits in Australia (we got those too). Really, I tend to think of these pests as a form of colonial "toxic waste" that we need to try and clear up in the best way we can now.

Um, pesky possums? What about all those overbred pesky humans that have overrun... everything?

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Pesky overpopulating humans, yup, but nobody really wants to touch the pesky human population problem, at least not out loud.

Anybody with any brains knows that this is just another angle of a Yuppiedumb exploiting other Yuppiedumbs with some overpriced fur product that costs the manufacter next to nothing. The only problem is that these animals suffer needlessly, search "NZ possum hunting" and after seeing those images I think it would be hard for most people to put those pelts on their head or bed. How about putting a portion of their profits back into NZ habitat management. Hmmm whats next, rat fur underwear or how about Amish crafted heaters?