Islington becomes first London council to ban the sale of fur

Chapel, Exmouth, Camden Passage and Whitecross Street markets in London will no longer be permitted to sell fur, after Islington Council voted to ban the sale of all animal fur items at markets throughout its region.

The move will see the sale of fur prohibited from council-owned land, including markets run by the council, after the council chair said "the cruelty can no longer continue”.

Islington Council will be the second council in the UK to ban fur, following Oldham Council which banned fur last year. The ban takes effect from October 1 and will be enforced from January 1, 2020.

Animal charity Humane Society International/UK, which leads the #FurFreeBritain campaign, is celebrating the move, with Claire Bass, executive director of Humane Society International/ UK commenting in a statement: “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.

"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.”

More than 100 million animals globally are reported to be killed every year for their fur, and the Humane Society International states that the methods typically used on fur farms are distressing to the animals.

Britain imports and sells the fur of a variety of species, including fox, rabbit, mink, coyote, raccoon dog and chinchilla. Fur imports from dogs, cats and commercial seal hunts are banned across the EU.

An increasing number of fashion designers and retailers have already dropped fur from their collections. This year alone Gucci, Versace, Michael Kors, Jimmy Choo, DKNY, Burberry, and Chanel have announced fur-free policies.