Aperçu du commerce de la fourrure

Éducation et formation

Les connaissances traditionnelles sont transmises de génération en génération, bien souvent sans l’aide de supports écrits. Chez les trappeurs, la forêt était la salle de classe, et l’éducation était riche en expérience pratique et en observation. Lorsque les trappeurs se rencontraient pour vendre leur récolte aux anciens postes de traite des fourrures, ils partageaient des histoires, discutaient de méthodes de piégeage et du comportement des animaux sauvages sur leur territoire. L’expérience pratique et l’échange d’histoires et d’idées entre trappeurs ont permis de mettre sur pied de nouvelles méthodes. Les temps changent, et des trappeurs respectés comme Frank Conibear, Lloyd Cook et Ralph Bice reconnaissent que tous les trappeurs pourraient tirer profit d’un environnement d’apprentissage plus structuré.

Ainsi, en 1971, Ralph Bice a offert le premier cours de pédagogie officiel à l’intention des trappeurs à Elliot Lake, en Ontario. Aujourd’hui, l’éducation des trappeurs est obligatoire dans toutes les provinces et tous les territoires au Canada. Les cours de pédagogie à l’intention des trappeurs portent sur une multitude de sujets, notamment la technologie en matière de piégeage sans cruauté, la sécurité des trappeurs, la biologie de la faune, la préparation appropriée des peaux et les dernières questions en matière de législation et de règlementation gouvernementales. Des organismes gouvernementaux préparent les cours en collaboration avec des associations de trappeurs. L’Institut de la fourrure du Canada organise également des ateliers de formation au piégeage dans les communautés autochtones. Les personnes présentes sur les terres qui adoptent un mode de vie remontant à la nuit des temps peuvent ainsi jouir d’un mode de vie traditionnel tout en ayant recours à une technologie de pointe et à des connaissances nouvelles.

De même, les éleveurs d’animaux à fourrure profitent d’un apprentissage continu. Des forums éducatifs, des conférences, des publications, des visites d’exploitations et d’autres possibilités d’acquérir des connaissances concernant les dernières avancées scientifiques et technologiques sont régulièrement organisés et mis en œuvre.

Les trappeurs et les éleveurs d’animaux à fourrure d’aujourd’hui ont également fait un investissement majeur en partageant des connaissances avec le public dans le monde entier. Au moyen de contributions financières de la part des acteurs du commerce de la fourrure, des programmes d’éducation ont été élaborés pour aider les gens à comprendre des modes de vie très éloignés de la société urbaine.

Recherche en matière de piégeage

L’objectif à long terme du programme de recherche sur les pièges de l’Institut de la fourrure du Canada a toujours été de fournir aux trappeurs des outils efficaces, sécuritaires et sans cruauté. Par le biais de ses efforts en recherche, en partenariat avec l’Alberta Research Council, l’Institut répond aux inquiétudes entourant l’amélioration du bien‑être des animaux, l’efficience des engins de capture des animaux et la conservation des populations fauniques. Depuis sa création en 1983, le programme de l’Institut réunit les connaissances traditionnelles, la science et les nouvelles technologies en une approche globale visant à améliorer les pièges. À titre de partenaire de recherche de l’Institut, l’équipe de spécialistes de l’Alberta Research Council fournit le savoir et l’infrastructure nécessaires en vue de satisfaire aux exigences du programme de recherche et de veiller à la crédibilité scientifique. Grâce à ce partenariat, il est possible d’évaluer les progrès et de continuer à innover à mesure que de nouvelles technologies sont mises au point. Le programme de l’Institut fait du Canada le chef de file mondial en recherche sur les pièges. En 1997, le Canada, l’Union européenne et la Russie ont signé l’Accord sur les normes internationales de piégeage sans cruauté (ANIPSC) qui établit les exigences en matière de rendement des pièges pour 19 espèces d’animaux sauvages piégés pour diverses raisons dans ces pays. On trouve 12 de ces espèces au Canada. Le programme de recherche sur les pièges se concentre actuellement sur l’évaluation des engins de piégeage à l’aide de procédures d’essai de l’ISO (Organisation internationale de normalisation), afin de déterminer s’ils respectent les exigences de l’ANIPSC. Seuls les pièges qui respectent ces exigences obtiennent la certification à des fins d’utilisation.

L’Institut de la fourrure du Canada et l’Alberta Research Council ont cherché des moyens de réduire, et finalement d’éliminer, le recours à l’utilisation d’animaux vivants afin d’évaluer le rendement des pièges. L’équipe de recherche a mis au point des logiciels propres aux espèces qui simulent les tests en enceinte, grâce aux progrès de l’informatique et surtout à toutes les données recueillies lors des tests en enceinte effectués sur des animaux vivants et des pièges. À présent, près de 90 % de l’ensemble des tests sur les pièges sont réalisés au moyen de logiciels de simulation. Cela permet de réaliser des essais valides moins coûteux tout en limitant le besoin d’utiliser des animaux vivants au cours du processus. En outre, l’Institut a mis sur pied une base de données et une expertise sans précédent sur le piégeage et les animaux à fourrure. Le programme de recherche sur les pièges de l’Institut a joué un rôle international en fournissant de l’information, une expertise et un accès à des renseignements techniques à de nombreux pays, notamment le Royaume‑Uni, les États‑Unis, la France, la Suède, l’Allemagne, la Hollande, la Belgique, l’Argentine, la Nouvelle‑Zélande, la Norvège, la Finlande, le Chili et la Russie. Le gouvernement du Canada, la Fédération internationale du commerce de la fourrure et d’autres secteurs de l’industrie de la fourrure, ainsi que les gouvernements provinciaux et territoriaux, appuient les activités de l’Institut liées à la recherche et aux tests sur les pièges. L’Institut publie et met à jour régulièrement une liste des pièges qui répondent aux exigences en matière de bien‑être animal établies dans l’ANIPSC, notamment des pièges certifiés conformes par les gouvernements provinciaux et territoriaux. Le trappeur canadien a fait preuve de leadership à l’échelle internationale en garantissant le recours aux meilleures méthodes de capture possibles dans le cadre de l’exploitation des animaux à fourrure.

The Trapper

Long before Europeans arrived in North America, an active trade between the Aboriginal communities of North America existed in furs and other commodities. As the fur trade has evolved over the centuries so have trapping practices. Both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal trappers have adapted their practices to reflect increased knowledge and understanding of the fur trade and the species they harvest. Today, the success of Canada’s fur trade is as much a recognition of a centuries-old tradition of excellence as it is a modern example of the sound application of conservation principles and sustainable development.

Trapping is highly regulated by the provinces and territories and no endangered species are trapped or used in the fur industry. Maximum quotas protect the animals from being over-harvested while minimum quotas assist with wildlife population control. Under the trapper’s stewardship, wildlife  is carefully managed to ensure healthy populations of the various species found within a specific region.. An example of this diligence is the fact there are more beavers in Canada now than when the European explorers first arrived. In many regions, raccoons, coyotes and foxes are more abundant than they have ever been. Furthermore, as practicing conservationists, trappers play an active role in protecting and restoring wildlife habitat from the onslaught of urban development and from excessive and non-sustainable use of  habitat.

Environmentally aware consumers recognize that the trapping of fur bearers is an excellent working example of the principles of sustainable use. They are also aware that responsible trapping practices are, by definition, both well managed and humane.

While the management of a trapline is a year-round activity, the commercial trapper will capture all fur during the late fall and winter, when the fur is prime. Out-off season trapping occurs only when measures are necessary to control nuisance animals.

The Fur Farmer

Canadians pioneered the art of fur  farming on Prince Edward Island in the late 1800’s. As the century proceeded the extraordinary quality of the farm-raised mink and fox furs firmly established Canada as an innovator in what was to become a highly specialized and extremely competitive international agricultural activity.

Only a person who is interested in animals, and truly cares for them, can become a successful fur farmer.  Working with livestock requires total dedication. Animals must be cared for, fed and watered every day.  Farm animals need constant care and, since they have special needs, they require special housing facilities, carefully balanced diets and optimum conditions for good health and growth.

Fur farmers follow strict Codes of Practice in caring for their animals. In addition, national fur farming associations fund practical research projects for breeding, housing, genetics, nutrition and disease. The resulting information is updated and distributed to the membership on a continuing basis to ensure optimum animal health and care.

Experience and continuing education are vital to the fur rancher because mink, fox and chinchilla require particularly good handling if they are to thrive. If conditions are not adequate, fur quality will be the first thing to suffer and as a small business manager the rancher knows that business will only succeed if the highest possible quality is offered.

The Auction

The first international marketing for Canada’s premier resource began in 1670 with the establishment of the Hudson’s Bay Company. Today, sale by public auction is still the principal method of selling furs, with the majority of all wild furs being sold to buyers at one of two Canadian auction houses. This age-old tradition is a perfect model of market economy where supply and demand will establish the price levels for each fur type. Most trappers deliver their harvest to an auction house on a consignment basis, to be included in the selection offered to buyers at auctions scheduled several times a year.  Upon arrival, each pelt is identified with a bar-coded computer tag that serves as a locator to ensure that each trapper, or shipper, is subsequently paid for their submitted pelts. A team of skilled fur technicians then begins the lengthy process of grading the fur pelts consigned to the auction according to colour, size, sex and quality. The graded furs are then grouped into individual auction lots, receive a « lot » identification number and the « lots » are listed in the auction catalogue. A group of « lots » containing similar pelts are included in what is referred to as a « string ». A representative sample of each lot or string is then displayed to buyers during the inspection period, which precedes the auction sale.During inspection, which can last for 2 to 6 days depending on the size of the auction, fur buyers from around the world examine the samples and note their estimate of the relative value of each lot in their catalogue. Many buyers are professional fur brokers and will purchase goods for a number of manufacturers and retailers. At the auction, buyers compete aggressively to fill their orders. Once the sale is over, the buyers have to pay for their purchases by a stipulated due date, called the « prompt date » (which is usually ten working days after the sale) and give instructions to the auction to deliver the pelts, which can be almost anywhere in the world. The trappers and dealers who consign their fur to the auction receive a report on the auction sale and a cheque for their sold furs, minus the auction commission, and government levies, on the « prompt date ». The report records the price of each pelt, the lot number in which the pelt was included and the grade it received. By allowing individual trappers to include their pelts in a larger selection, the fur auction selling system grants them access to the world marketplace. This system means the offering becomes large enough to attract major fur buyers from around the world, which leads to higher prices for the producers than selling locally.

Processing & Manufacturing

Once the raw fur pelts have been purchased at the auction, the process of tanning, or dressing, is undertaken. Buyers send their fur purchases to their company of choice for this procedure. Currently there are four major dressing plants in Canada and numerous smaller regional companies. The first step in the dressing process renders the raw side to leather, resulting in a supple and workable material. Beaver, muskrat and mink are often sheared to remove the long guard hairs to reveal the soft down of the undercoat. The resulting  finish can be dyed to fashion hues destined for style-conscious consumers around the world. Canadian dressers use environmentally friendly products and are strictly regulated by both provincial and federal law. Interestingly, the products used in the greatest quantity by fur dressers are sawdust and starch, both entirely natural products and totally biodegradable. Once a bundle of furs is dressed, it is returned to the manufacturer where the design process begins. Manufacturers incorporate production techniques and patterns that fit with fashion trends.. Skilled technicians stretch pelts, and often slice them into strips as small as a quarter of an inch, allowing for these pieces to be twirled, woven, knit, sewn onto fabric, or even sewn back together to create a range of innovative looks, depending on the pattern. It takes an experienced eye and a steady hand; there is no room for error. The pelts are then sewn together according to the designer’s pattern to eventually create the vision started at the drawing board. It is meticulous work, requiring all of the furrier’s considerable talent and expertise gained through years of experience, to transform individual skins into a  fashion garment in a process, which may take as many as 60 hours from start to finish. The majority of Canada’s fur manufacturers are based in Toronto and Montreal, and ship high-quality fashion furs to customers around the world.

The Consumer

Canadian wild and farmed furs grace the winter wardrobes of millions of discriminating consumers around the world. The majority of Canada’s fur production is shipped to fashion centres in New York, Milan, Paris, Hong Kong, and Seoul. On the world’s fashion runways, there are now remarkable combinations that integrate fur and textiles in the design of fur coats, jackets, wraps, hats, trims and accessories, using innovative techniques such as knitting, weaving, twirling and grooving. Fur has truly become a fashion staple, and has even moved into the realm of home décor.

Environmentally aware consumers recognize that the trapping of fur bearers is an excellent working example of the principles of sustainable use. They are also aware that responsible trapping practices are, by definition, both well managed and humane.

While the international marketplace provides the financial impetus for the fur trade, an unseen group of consumers reaps vast benefit from wild furbearer resources. In remote areas, the fur harvest provides both cash income and an important food source where most groceries come from the wild. Muskrat stew, roast beaver and fried lynx are regular and delicious menu items in a country kitchen. Furs are fashioned into coats, cuffs, collars, hats and mittens that are protection from temperatures that can plunge to a bone chilling -50°C for days at a time.

Together, the people of the fur trade, from trappers and fur farmers through to the consumer, play an active role in conserving precious natural resources and demonstrating the success of a conscientiously applied strategy of sustainable development, as set out by the World Conservation Union (IUCN). The fur trade is strictly regulated, and uses no endangered species. In fact, because of good wildlife management, many furbearers are more abundant today than ever before.