Hong Kong fashion trade show urged to ‘celebrate Year of the Snake’ by banning snakeskin
Hong Kong Free Press
An animal rights organisation has called for snakeskin to be banned from a Hong Kong fashion trade show ahead of the Year of the Snake.
In a statement last Friday, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) said it had released new footage showing snakes being “beaten, beheaded, impaled, and inflated,” at slaughterhouses, adding that the animals were “likely still conscious as their skin was torn from their bodies.”
“Snakes feel pain and fear and don’t want to be bashed over the head or sliced to pieces for a bag or a pair of boots,” PETA Senior Vice President Jason Baker said in the statement. “PETA’s new video should be a wakeup call for Fashion InStyle to celebrate the Year of the Snake by ditching reptiles’ skins and allowing only beautiful, luxurious vegan materials on its stage.”
The animal rights organisation said it had sent a letter to Fashion InStyle, which will be held at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre from April 27 to 30 and is organised by the Hong Kong Trade and Development Council (HKTDC), calling for the event to be snakeskin-free.
PETA pointed to a recent announcement from the British Fashion Council that exotic skins – including from crocodiles and snakes – would be banned from London Fashion Week shows from 2025.
In an emailed response to HKFP on Monday, a spokesperson for the HKTDC said the trade show organiser was “committed to sustainable business practices and it is our priority to ensure our exhibitions, including Fashion InStyle, adhere to applicable Hong Kong laws and regulations.”
The spokesperson continued: “All exhibitors are required to ensure their displayed products comply with these regulations, including the Protection of Endangered Species of Animals and Plants Ordinance.”
See also: Hongkongers told to watch out for suspected poaching activities while hiking
That law prohibits the trade of endangered species listed under Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, among them certain species of alligator, crocodile, and snake.
According to government figures, about 420 seizures were made under the ordinance in 2023. “The more commonly encountered specimens included American ginseng, succulent plants, orchids and their products, dried seahorses, and reptile and their skin products,” the government said.
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