Press Kit

SPECIAL FEATURES

MARINE MAMMAL PROTECTION ACT
The 1972 U.S. Marine Mammal Protection Act bans imports or sales or all marine mammal products, regardless of the conservation status of the species, negatively impacting the economies and cultural traditions of indigenous peoples in the High North.

SAFE FARMS CAMPAIGN
In August 1999, the first Safe Farms Support Rally was held in Wisconsin - an outpouring of frustration from farmers and other concerned citizens at the escalation of attacks from animal rights terrorists.

REGULATING THE CONFLICT INDUSTRY
The "conflict industry" is a largely unregulated multinational business sector which prospers by causing friction between resource users and the general public. The industry's key areas of operation are environmental issues and animal welfare / rights.

EURO-WATCH
Fur farming in Europe, world center of farmed fur production.

HSUS FURRY TRADE-BARRIER CAMPAIGN
In 1998, the Humane Society of the US, America's largest animal rights group, launched its "Fur Free 2000" campaign, aimed in part at blocking legitimate fur imports to the US from Asia. The central theme is HSUS's assertion that Americans are unwittingly buying furs made from "pets". Fact or hype?

BEVERLY HILLS LABELING INITIATIVE
In the spring of 1999, an animal rights initiative to have furs labeled with details of how the furbearers MAY have died was defeated in Beverly Hills, CA.

PRESS KIT

The following selection of resources is intended to provide journalists with a one-stop introduction to the fur industry and FCUSA. All resources are available in the indicated sections of the FCUSA web site except for those marked Press Kit Only, which can be accessed from this page only.

See also our PRESS CLIPPINGS page and our PHOTO LIBRARY page.

About FCUSA

What Is Fur Commission USA?

State Fair Flyer. Full-color flyer on the work of Fur Commission USA. PDF. Or click here for a flyer specific to your state.

Introduction to Executive Director Teresa Platt.

Documents on the Fur Industry

Fur industry statistics. Production and retail, global and North America.

Fur facts, produced by FCUSA. (PDF format)

Mink farming in the USA Four-page leaflet produced by FCUSA.(PDF format)

Mink production in the United States from 1974 to the present.

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) statistics on mink industry in the U.S. (PDF format.)

Firm auction prices for mink spur increased breeding. FCUSA analysis of latest USDA data, July 2007.

Warm winter drove U.S. fur retail sales down in 2006. (FCUSA press release, November 2007.)

"The Socio-Economic Impact of European Fur Farming". An 8-page full-color brochure produced by the European Fur Breeders Association and the International Fur Trade Federation in 10 languages. The English-language version is available on the web in HTML and PDF formats. (November 2001)

"Fur Farm Letter" - Key Articles and Opinion Pieces
Articles from FCUSA's newsletter, in HTML and PDF.

"Fur is back - again!" Editorial, Spring 2005.

"Gallup: American youth find fur more 'moral' than research," FCUSA commentary, Spring 2005.

"Eco-terror target turns political activist; Turning adversity around," by Washington fur farmer Kate Roesler, Spring 2004.

"Planned Parenthood Win Landmark Free Speech Case; What's In It for the Rest of Us?" FCUSA analyzes the relevance of the Nuremberg Files ruling for others, including animal users, August / September 2003.

"US Mink Farmers See Prices Fall, Production Rise." FCUSA analysis of National Agricultural Statistics Service annual report, August / September 2003.

"Feminism and Fur." FCUSA commentary on the ways in which People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals demeans women and others, March / April 2003.

"Farmers, Ranchers Win Battle for Safe Farms." FCUSA commentary on freedom of information vs. the security of farms, November 2002.

"US Fur Farms Continue Consolidation." FCUSA commentary on the latest USDA statistics, July 20, 2002.

"Science or Politics? European Commission Receives Controversial Fur-Farming Report." Mar. 2002.

"Faux or No?" Denver Post commentary on the merits of real fur versus the fake stuff. Dec. '01. (PDF)

"Careers in the Conflict Industry : HSUS and the Making of a Conflict Industrialist." Aug 2001.

"Let Them Eat Cake! PeTA Sees Foot-and-Mouth Disease as the Final Solution." May 2001.

Cold Shoulder or Thaw in the Political Ice? What is the significance of the 2000 election for resource providers? January 2001.

"Producers, Consumers and Clothing Confusion." Is fur production really any different from sheepskin production? December 2000.

Goodbye Plastic People, Hello "Wear Your Fur Friday"! Commentary on the environment-friendly nature of fur over synthetics. November 2000.

Dogs, Cats and HSUS - What you see is not what you get! HSUS's proposed "dog and cat" fur legislation comes under scrutiny of House Ways and Means Committee. August 2000.

A Day at the Races : The Fur Trade Is So Far Ahead of Politically Correct, Others Are Racing Just to Keep Up Commentary on fur farming's recycling role. July 2000.

"UK Government Still Fuzzy on Morals, Ethics." FCUSA commentary on bill to ban fur farming. June 2000.

"Unanimous Verdict : Fur Is Back!" Mar. 2000.

"Dogs, Cats and DNA." Feb. 2000.

"Double Dutch: Debating the Morality of Fur Farming." Jan. 2000.

"Good Shepherds, Sheep, Predators and Seasons of Good Will." Dec. 1999. Seasonal commentary by FCUSA executive director Teresa Platt.

"Super Duper Recyclers - How Fur Farmers Turn Waste into Beauty." Nov. 1999.

"David Barbarash : Profile of ALF's New Spokesman." Oct. 1999.

"Congressman Rallies Citizens at 'Safe Farms Support Rally'." Sept. '99." PDF.

"Animal-Use Abolitionists Continue 1999 Road Trip of Vandalism and Arson; Farmers Demand Action." Aug. '99."

"Proposed Legislation Could Disrupt Responsible Organic Fur Trade." July '99. FCUSA commentary on HSUS's campaign to ban sales of "dog" and "cat" fur.

"Beverly Hills Voters Reject Shock Politics." June '99. FCUSA press release (May 11, 1999) on animal rights labeling initiative.

"Fur Free 2000", Stage Two." Update and analysis of HSUS's latest anti-fur campaign. May '99.

"Engaging Political Will." Mar. '99.

"Discussing Fur's International Future in Amsterdam." Feb. '99.

"Saving Society from Animal "Snuff" Films." Jan. '99 (Updated June '03)

"Ho, Ho, Ho! Plastic Santas?" Dec. '98.

"Just What Is 'Evolutionary Fur'?" Dec. '98.

"Animal Rights / Eco-Terrorist Attacks Escalate." Nov. '98.

"City Mink, Country Mink, and Lessons from the Big City : Fighting Crime the Neighborhood Watch Way." Oct. '98.

"Carnage in the English Countryside." Sept. '98.

"Should Conflict Generation Be Rewarded by Non-Profit Benefit?" Aug. '98.

"Can We Spell 'Schizophrenia'?" July '98.

Key Links
Links to major industry organizations. For comprehensive links visit: Resources.

BACKGROUNDER

Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathy

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