BELGIUM, 25 JULY 2016 – Veritable temple of fur in Belgium, Pelsland was declared bankrupt last month by the court of Antwerp. A part of the Belgian scene for 40 years, Pelsland’s demise was supposedly down to an exceptionally mild winter, according to its director.

However, according to Belgian Fur Free Alliance member GAIA, the reasons for the chain’s bankruptcy go much deeper. In recent years there has been a marked decrease in global consumer interest in fur, motivated primarily by concern for ethics and animal welfare. Kopenhagen Fur, one of the world’s leading fur auction houses, estimates that global production of mink fell from almost 72 million animals in 2015 to 52 million this year.

Over the years, Pelsland had become a symbol of GAIA’s campaign against the fur industry. Numerous demonstrations have taken place before the shop in Antwerp, during which activists brandished signs or used cages to denounce the cruelty of fur farming.

Nevertheless, the fight goes on. After having obtained a ban on fur farming in Wallonia, GAIA still seeks a similar ban in Flanders, which currently has 16 mink farms in operation.