Chrys, have you had any reaction to the Wall Street Journal story about your company?

A lot of reaction! People who have not reviewed the website have knee jerk reactions. People who have spent time on the site have written supportive emails and understand that the animals are non-native, are ruining the ecological balance, may cause other animals and plants to go extinct and that the only other alternative is that the government kill the animal with a poison banned in the US. They also understand that faux fur is not eco-friendly,that fur is simply the other side of leather and the best source of fur and leather is an animal whose population needs to be abated. They note that 20,000 tons of vegetation consumed nightly by the 70 million non-native critters is horrible ecologically. Also, this venture supports a small manufacturing industry in New Zealand.

People from NZ or who have visited NZ have written on blogs and commentary that this is a huge issue in NZ that spills over into the dairy, lamb and tourism industry.

I am getting great reaction from buyers and sales are increasing, even though it is Spring!

LOVE the product and the new name Chrys! ~;o)))) Congratulations!

http://www.hairconspiracy.com

I love your spirit and entrepreneurship, but I do wish you weren’t killing animals for luxury products. I understand that the animals are damaging the ecosystem. I also find it difficult to believe that killing them is the only solution. I think that as smart women, we need to use our drive and energy to find other ways. If humans created the non-native “pest” problem, it’s up to humans to find a way to solve it in a peaceful way.

As the author Isaac Bashevis Singer wrote:

“[a]ll other creatures were created merely to provide him [the human being] with food, pelts, to be tormented, exterminated. In relation to them, all people are Nazis; for the animals it is an eternal Treblinka.”

I want to say to jkiffel acutally smart men and women have found another way, and that is poison. I’ve been following this issue since back when Chrys lived in NZ four years ago, and then as now the NZ Department of Conservation has no alternatives- they can’t export a 70 million animal problem and poison has adverse affects to other plants and animals, even house pets, not to mention is a much more excruciating death. The DC is behind this method and we should be too.

I understand your points. That said, are you certain that being clubbed to death–of which I have seen “hidden cam” videos where the animals do not die and still have their pelts ripped from their bodies while they are alive–is less painful than being poisoned?

Both sound very bad to me. I’m no PETA advocate, but I think we all have a tendency to turn away from what makes us feel bad, and attempt to rationalize it.

I appreciate your comments and I’ve considered these over the years. What I keep coming back to are the 25 following reasons why this makes sense. And yes, I do think the manner in which some animals are killed (in other countries, not New Zealand) is less painful that being poisoned and dying in less than 10 seconds:

70 million possum in New Zealand (which is about the size of California). That is 17 possum for every New Zealander (there are more possum than sheep).
The possum eat 20,000 tons of vegetation nightly, enough to fill a container ship nightly. They feast on some gorgeous plants and trees, some of which are endangered.
In addition to the carbon dioxide issues implicit in these numbers, this means the vegetation and habitat for other animals (as well as plants) are being destroyed.
Species of animals and plants (some of which exist nowhere else in the world) are in danger of extinction due to the possum.
Possum can carry bovine tuberculosis and it can spread to cattle—thus affecting other industry in New Zealand.
The possum is non-native to New Zealand. Indeed, no mammals are native to New Zealand, save for two small species of bat.
Possum have a 30% reproductive rate which means the numbers are rising extremely quickly.
Because the possum is non-native, it has no natural enemies to stop its huge population growth.
To control the numbers now, the government uses a poison that is banned in the US (1080). NZ uses over 90% of the world’s supply of 1080.
This poison kills the possum as well as collateral mammals (horses, hunting dogs, pets) in what is described by observers as an “excruciating” death.
The poisoned possum are not utilized by any industry, just left to rot.
In contrast, the possum used in my products are killed humanely. New Zealanders are ardent in their commitment to humane trapping methods. Most are killed with cyanide bait (it is regulated, and the possum die within 10 seconds), some are humanely trapped and some are hunted.
Many conservation groups support the marketing of possum. Some support it because possum crowds out native species and the other risk factors above. Others support it because they oppose the use of 1080 and marketed fur is humanely killed.
Fur is the other side of leather.
The best source of leather and fur is an animal whose population requires abatement.
This animal is protected in its native Australia—so will not disappear.
It is a different species from the American possum with completely different fur qualities and a different look (including no rat tail).
Indeed, it was initially brought to New Zealand from Australia to establish a fur trade—it has a silky touch, no nap or single direction, low pilling, static free, strong leather, lighter than wool, warmer than wool, soft and no guard hairs.
It is the 3rd warmest fur in the world, so one can turn down the heat when tucked under one of these throws.
Marketing aligns incentives. Trappers will have a financial incentive to trap more when the demand goes up. More trappers working means more possum collected by that method and fewer needing to be killed using the government’s 1080 poison. This assists a local economy.
My products are handmade in New Zealand supporting a small industry. New Zealand has lost many manufacturing jobs to China and Australia over the last decade.
Fur is naturally eco-friendly since it is biodegradable, recyclable, etc.
None of this fur is farmed. Indeed, it is illegal to farm possum in New Zealand.
Faux fur is not eco-friendly. It is petroleum based and uses toxic chemicals. Sometimes, what is thought to be faux fur is actually cat or dog hair (US Humane Society).
The alternative of doing nothing irreparably hurts the New Zealand environment and its native animals.