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Islington has become the second UK council to ban the sale of fur on council-owned land.
The move will affect vendors including Chapel, Exmouth, Camden Passage, and Whitecross Street markets.
The ban, which will come into effect on October 1 this year and be enforced from January 1, 2020, follows Oldham’s 2018 ban.
‘Awful trade’
Islington’s business chief Cllr Asima Shaikh told the Islington Gazette: “It can be hard for consumers to be sure about the origins and production methods used in clothes and goods containing real fur.
“While we have no reason to believe that illegally farmed fur is used in any products sold in our street markets, we think it is important that the council works hard to tackle this cruel and awful trade.”
‘Extreme suffering’
“We applaud Islington Council for becoming the first London borough to take explicit and decisive action to stop the sale of a product that causes such extreme animal suffering, in the borough’s markets,” said Claire Bass, executive director of Humane Society International/ UK.
“The Councillors’ decision was clearly driven by compassion, and shows their progressive values in reflection of the vast majority of Islington residents who reject the cruel and unnecessary fur trade.
“We encourage other councils to follow in Islington’s steps, and we urge the government to take note of this ban as another step towards our goal of a UK-wide sales ban.”
Fur ban
Islington Council follows a growing list of design houses and retailers which have ditched fur on ethical and environmental grounds, including Gucci, Versace, Michael Kors, Jimmy Choo, DKNY, Burberry, and Chanel.
When announcing her U-turn on fur in 2018, Donatella Versace, whose brand used to be synonymous with animal pelts, reflected growing awareness of the ethical issues around fur.
“Fur? I am out of that. I don’t want to kill animals to make fashion. It doesn’t feel right,” she said in an interview with The Economist’s 1843 magazine.
