European countries ban seal products

[JRB]

Like I stated in my earlier post, I had a seal sporran shipped to me (when I lived in MA) with no problem. I can't imagine that the ban is very strictly enforced on the U.S. end of it. I was just surprised that the company in Scotland where I ordered the sporran was willing to try to send me a banned product. Sorry to hijack this thread, by the way.

[porrick]

I wonder if you can buy seal in the USA like you can buy Absinthe. Absinthe cannot be bought within the USA, but you can buy it by having your credit card ran in the country of the seller and then have it brought to the USA by private courrier. Can you do the same thing with seal?

Don't think so. There is as far as I know a general import-no on sealskin products, regardless of how they are brought into the country, like Cuban products (yes, I gambled and was generously offered to donate 50 Cuban cigars to the US customs a few years ago... )

[mudd]

Whenever I wear it I always keep my eyes peeled for g-men that might want to jump me and confiscate my illegal sporran!

NEVER grab another man's sporran.

[ccga3359]

Don't think so. There is as far as I know a general import-no on sealskin products, regardless of how they are brought into the country, like Cuban products (yes, I gambled and was generously offered to donate 50 Cuban cigars to the US customs a few years ago... )

But from what I understand, in the US although it is illegal to import and possibly to sell cuban cigars, it is legal to own them. How many US Presidents have been photographed enjoying one? JFK & Clinton as I recall.

Perhaps the same is true for sealskin sporrans.

[Peter C.]

Like I stated in my earlier post, I had a seal sporran shipped to me (when I lived in MA) with no problem. I can't imagine that the ban is very strictly enforced on the U.S. end of it. I was just surprised that the company in Scotland where I ordered the sporran was willing to try to send me a banned product. Sorry to hijack this thread, by the way.

I don't think we can blame businesses in other countries for doing what we ask them to do. It is surely up to us to know our own laws. However if they knew about the ban they should have discussed it with you, because if the US customs had found the sporran, I think they would have blamed you as the importer for it coming into the country.

To get back to the thread - there must be some disagreement in the European community about the ban as it is only 4 countries banning seal products.

Peter

[Phil]

There must be man-made substitutes for seal fur I'm sure. I have mixed feelings about using fur but I can see the other side too. One man's cuddly seal is another's pest ripping his nets and stealing his livelihood.

[JRB]

I don't think we can blame businesses in other countries for doing what we ask them to do. It is surely up to us to know our own laws. Peter

I bought the sporran as part of a kilt package and had no idea that it was seal skin. All the description on the website said about it was that it was a semi dress sporran. Had I know the sporran was seal skin, I wouldn't have purchased it just on ethical grounds even though I wasn't aware of the U.S. ban on seal at the time (1998).

[turpin]

There must be man-made substitutes for seal fur I'm sure. I have mixed feelings about using fur but I can see the other side too. One man's cuddly seal is another's pest ripping his nets and stealing his livelihood.

In my sporran-making research for materials I have come across seal-dyed muskrat. I haven't seen it first-hand, not held a sealskin sporran to compare it to, but I plan to give it a try anyhow. I suppose I'd have to send the customer a certificate of origin, though.

[auld argonian]

There must be man-made substitutes for seal fur I'm sure. I have mixed feelings about using fur but I can see the other side too. One man's cuddly seal is another's pest ripping his nets and stealing his livelihood.

I've seen feature stories on the news about marinas on the US West Coast where they can't get to their boats because the seals have taken over all the docks...and they can't even scare them off their own boats because it's harassment of a marine mammal. Contrast this with the guys who make a living in the Mountain States doing bear abatement by tossing the odd couple of firecrackers here and there to shoo the bruins away. Got to be some logic here.

And, Turpin, asking out of genuine curiousity: who authorizes a certificate of origin? Do you have to have the local Dept of Agriculture sign off on it or what?

Best

AA

[turpin]

And, Turpin, asking out of genuine curiousity: who authorizes a certificate of origin? Do you have to have the local Dept of Agriculture sign off on it or what?

Best

AA

State Departments of Natural Resources oversee hunting, fishing, and trapping, and have varying regulations about registering trapped pelts. Where an animal is similar to an endangered species it is considered an Appendix 2 animal under the International Convention on Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) and gets a CITES tag that certifies it is OK for taking and international sale.

At least that's my current, imperfect understanding. I mostly deal in leather, not fur sporrans.