We stumbled across this press release a couple of days ago, from independent MP Gordon Copeland. He’d met with Teresa Platt from the US Fur Commission and it was a ‘real eye-opener.’

“The international fur market is now the best it has ever been, with new opportunities emerging daily for fur based products, but possum has yet to establish even a foothold in this burgeoning and massive global market. Be it plush toys, fashion garments or just humble socks made of a merino-possum blend, international markets are crying out for possum derived products.”

It would be nice to see more of a unified effort regarding Possum fur, as a commercial approach is going to provide New Zealand with the most benefit, long-term. It’s interesting to note that 1080 poisoning costs $80 million every year!

We’ll keep an eye on how this develops and let you know.

If you’re interested you can have a look at the original press release at scoop.co.nz.