Against Animal Cruelty Tasmania (AACT) is calling on the Hobart City Council to ban the sale of fur products at Salamanca Market. At least one stall is known to sell fur, the product of an inherently cruel industry.
“An AACT supporter recently held a lone, silent protest outside the offending market stall, holding a placard that depicted the abhorrent cruelty suffered by animals exploited for their fur. The stall holder, concerned about negative publicity, promptly rang the market supervisor and the brave protester was asked to move on, but not before many people congratulated her on her stance.” said Chris Simcox, spokesperson for AACT.
Whether bred and raised on fur farms or trapped in the wild, animals used for fur products suffer horrendously at the hands of the people who exploit them. On fur farms animals are kept in tiny wire cages, and often exposed to weather extremes. They suffer terrible stress, fear, frustration and boredom and self-mutilate, gnawing the flesh from their own legs. Killing happens by one of two horrific methods: anal electrocution followed by skinning; clubbing the animal (to subdue it), then SKINNING ALIVE. Animals skinned alive continue to suffer an unbearably agonising and slow death.
Wild-caught animals are trapped in vicious wire snares, or other similarly brutal traps. The wire tightens around their leg, stomach or neck and the more they struggle the tighter it gets. Animals caught in traps often chew off their own limbs in a desperate attempt to escape. These animals are usually clubbed and skinned alive.
“It is totally wrong that fur products are sold at Salamanca Market. Selling fur here is saying to our interstate and international visitors that Tasmanians condone this barbaric treatment of innocent animals. We want to see an immediate and total ban on the sale of all fur products at Salamanca Market.” said Mr Simcox.
Tasmania also has several retail shops that sell fur products and AACT will be lobbying the Federal Government for a ban on the sale and importation of all fur products. Only a total ban on fur sales will ensure that we are not supporting this incredibly cruel industry.
Chris Simcox, Against Animal Cruelty Tasmania
