Monterey Bay Aquarium in Hot Water Over Alleged Defamatory Statements About Maine Lobster Industry

by Michelle C. Pardo

Maine is synonymous with lobster.  So states the federal court defamation lawsuit filed this week by a coalition of lobster fishing companies and trade groups against the Monterey Bay Aquarium over its “Seafood Watch” program, which accused Maine fisheries of falsely putting North Atlantic right whales at significant risk of entanglement and risk of extinction.  Bean Maine Lobster, Inc., et al. v. Monterey Bay Aquarium Foundation, No. 2:23-cv-00129 (JAW)(D. Maine). Continue reading “Monterey Bay Aquarium in Hot Water Over Alleged Defamatory Statements About Maine Lobster Industry”

Will California Be the First to Ban Fur Sales Statewide?

by Michelle C. Pardo

The California legislature has passed a bill to ban the sale of new fur products anywhere within the state. The bill would make it unlawful to “sell, offer for sale, display for sale, trade, or otherwise distribute for monetary or nonmonetary consideration a fur product, as defined, in the state.” AB 44 (as amended). Should Governor Gavin Newsom sign AB44, California would be the first state in the nation to enact such legislation. Los Angeles, San Francisco, West Hollywood and Berkeley already have fur bans in place. Illegal items would include fur from undomesticated animals, including mink, rabbit and coyote.  The legislation excludes certain products, such as pelts or skins preserved through taxidermy, animal skin that is to be converted into leather, and fur products used for religious or traditional Native American tribal, cultural or spiritual purposes. The bill carries civil penalties. Continue reading “Will California Be the First to Ban Fur Sales Statewide?”

Is Vegan Leather Eco-Friendly?

by Michelle C. Pardo

While shopping for shoes or handbags, you may have seen an increasingly available species of product made from “vegan leather”.  As you can imagine, vegan leather, also known as synthetic leather, is not derived from animals, and it can be made from a variety of materials, including cork, waxed or glazed cotton, paper, polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and polyurethane. It has been touted as an ethical and environmentally conscious buying decision. However, assuming that these materials are making the most environmentally-friendly choice may not be accurate. Continue reading “Is Vegan Leather Eco-Friendly?”

International Fur Bans Continue: Serbia Ends Chinchilla Farming

by Michelle C. Pardo

Serbia joins the ranks of European countries that have enacted bans on fur farming.  Serbia’s Animal Welfare Act legislation passed in 2009, with a 10 year phase out period on farming.  The Act makes it illegal to keep, reproduce, import, export and kill animals only for the production of fur.  Efforts to delay or reverse the ban proved to be unsuccessful and the ban went into effect on the first of the year.  Serbia’s fur farming centered on raising chinchillas, which are native to Northern Chile and known to have extraordinarily dense and soft fur.  While both the long-tailed and short-tailed chinchilla are listed as “endangered” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) Red List, chinchillas are still commercially bred.  Serbia joins a number of countries that have banned fur farming or sales, including Germany, Norway and the United Kingdom.  More countries have bans on their parliamentary agendas.  Animal and environmental activists have long advocated for bans on fur farming due to animal welfare and environmental “sustainability” issues.

However a recent study commissioned by the International Fur Federation and Fur Europe found that natural fur biodegrades rapidly even in landfill conditions without oxygen as opposed to fake fur which did not biodegrade at all.  The study results, announced last summer, note that synthetic fashion materials contribute to plastic pollution and directly challenge claims made by environmental activists who claim that fur production is an energy consumptive process.

https://www.wearefur.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Desintegration_Factsheet.pdf

Fur bans are not only trending in Europe.  In 2018 the Los Angeles City Council voted to ban the sale of fur clothing and directed the City Attorney’s office to draft an ordinance outlining the ban.  The LA City Council will have to approve the ordinance and have it signed by the mayor before it becomes law.  The LA ban will likely have exemptions for fur trapped by California Fish and Game license holders and for fur worn for religious purposes.  Some in the fashion industry have debated whether fur bans are only the first step in an activist agenda to ban the sale of leather and wool.  Sustainability has become the “buzz word” in the fashion industry as more companies feel pressures to source their goods from raw materials that generate environmental, social and economic benefits while not using too many resources or causing pollution.

 

 

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The opinions expressed on this blog are those of the author and are not to be construed as legal advice.

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