All of the following claims were taken directly from the Canada Goose's website (fur policy) as of January 27, 2012.
Photo: Coyote screaming in a leg-hold trap, person wearing Canada Goose jacket with fur trim.
Preface: Canada Goose also has yet to answer what do they do with all of the coyote carcasses after the fur is peeled off. There is no market for 'coyote meat'. Canada Goose likely just buys their fur from auction houses like every other fur buyer. Canada Goose probably has no idea of who trapped their pelts, nor do they know how each individual coyote suffered and died. They just buy the pelts from some middleman, and make their coats.
CLAIM: We use Coyote fur only as absolutely necessary, and exclusively for functional purposes. Our jackets are–and always have been–used in the coldest places on earth. In such climates, where skin can freeze in an instant, the coyote fur creates a warm environment in the most critical area–around the face.
Coyote fur (or any fur) is NOT absolutely necessary. The vast majority of people do not live in climates where their skin can freeze in an instant. The majority of the Canadian population lives in large urban cities near the southern border. In areas of extreme weather, for centuries, communities have existed without wearing Canada Goose garments. Inuit communities for example, continue to make much of their own outdoor clothing, without relying on Canada Goose. When Inuit communities make their own garments, all of the animal is used, not just bits of fur for trim.
CLAIM: The fur that we do use is acquired in the most humane ways and we adhere to the guidelines of the Fur Council of Canada that governs fur use in our country.
The Fur Council of Canada is simply the marketing body of the fur industry. They have no legal authority! The word "humane" is also subjective. The term "humane" is not well defined or regulated, and under the law, it doesn't have to be regulated. Canada’s Competition Act does not specifically restrict the use of terms such as “humane”.
In Canada, the leg-hold, Conibear and snare trap are used to catch and kill coyotes. Given the opportunity and correct information, many Canadians would argue that these traps are incredibly inhumane.
Photo: Canadian coyote with his head in a Conibear trap.
CLAIM: The fur industry is an excellent example of an industry based on sustainable use.
The fur trade traps and kills a million of Canada's wildlife every year from our ecosystem for needless fur products. These animals are not chosen because they are “surplus”, weak, or diseased. They are killed because they happen to be the 10 or 12 species that have nice, thick fur out of an estimated 140,000 species of animals in Canada.
It is becoming widely understood just how vital a role fur-bearing and other animals can play in our eco-system, and how we cannot reasonably expect to be able to continue to deliberately interfere with the intricacies of their population dynamics in such significant ways as commercial fur trapping, without expecting far-reaching and potentially serious consequences.
For example, when wolves were being exterminated in Yellowstone Park in the United States in the early 20th century, it resulted in a soaring elk population. The larger elk population led to the decline of aspen, cottonwood and willow trees that were crucial components of natural habitat for birds, beavers, and other animals. In addition to those problems, the coyote population skyrocketed, dramatically reducing the population of deer and ground squirrels, which then negatively impacted the mid-level predators like foxes, hawks, owls and pine martens. The downward spiral of the ecological balance within Yellowstone Park persisted until the successful re-introduction of Canadian grey wolves in 1995.
Proponents of the fur industry often suggest trappers are “wildlife managers” who know how to kill just the “right” animals in order to maintain an optimal eco-system for the area. This would be an ambitious task even for a well trained biologist and naturalist, let alone for a fur trapper.
Trappers and hunters know they are not wildlife management experts. Hunter, John Harrigan, said in his column for Outdoorsmen, “Hunters and trappers have forgotten why wildlife management began in the first place. It began to control hunters and trappers. Hunters and trappers ‘solved’ the problem because they were the problem. Limits were put on how many animals they could kill because otherwise they would have killed every living thing into extinction.”
Photo: Dead coyote in a leg-hold trap.
CLAIM: All the furs used by the trade are abundant. Absolutely no endangered species are used.
While most animals legally trapped in Canada are not species at risk, the question arises when numbers are scarce for certain populations. How few animals should be left of a species before trapping and killing for profit is halted?
The wolverine, for example, is a species whose population levels are of great concern. In Canada, their eastern population is already officially listed as “endangered” and their western population is officially listed as a species of “Special Concern” due to their low numbers.9 “ (A species is listed as “Special Concern” when it “may become a threatened or an endangered species because of a combination of biological characteristics and identified threats.”)
Despite being listed as a species of special concern, wolverines are still legally trapped for their fur in snare traps and Conibear traps.
Furthermore, The Canadian fur trade (and Canada Goose) claims in their promotional materials that no endangered species are used in their fur products, as if this was a commendable feature. Refraining from intentionally harming or killing endangered species is the law, and following the law is a bare minimum requirement of all industries.
Lastly, even though it is illegal to use endangered species, make no mistake, the fur industry still kills them.
CLAIM: In the Canadian fur trade, government wildlife officials and biologists ensure responsible use by establishing controlled hunting and trapping, harvest quotas, licensing, and training courses. Strict government regulations ensure that these quotas and seasons are respected.
The so-called standards for the fur trade are written by the fur industry for the fur industry. These regulations simply protect profits, not animals. The industry will often refer to the Agreement on International Humane Trapping Standards (AIHTS).This agreement essentially just redefined the term “humane”, so trappers could continue to use steel jaw leg-hold and other cruel traps.
Furthermore, provincial trapping laws are extremely difficult to enforce, particularly because the number of enforcement officers assigned to this responsibility is disturbingly inadequate.
In the province of British Columbia of Canada, for example, there are only 92 regional staff in the Conservation Officer Service to enforce the Wildlife Act.12 That averages about 1 Conservation Officer per 10,269 km2. As stated in a 2007 survey of environmental law enforcement and compliance in the province of British Columbia by West Coast Environmental Law, “The new policy on deregulation, together with lack of staffing capacity meant that enforcement actions plummeted [in 2007] by more than half.”
Federally too, spending on wildlife protection and monitoring of ecosystems has been slashed because of budget problems at the federal environment ministry. This includes (but not limited to) 80% loss in budget for the Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Network and a slash from $1.9 million to $0 for the National Wildlife Areas, a program that protects nationally significant habitats for wildlife and birds.
CLAIM: More importantly, we take pride in the fact that by supporting this sustainable industry we are also supporting the native Canadian communities of the North and their centuries-old ways of life that are now being threatened.
Only 2% of Canada's aboriginal population is involved in the fur industry. Fur trapping is a seasonal, supplemental income. It is no longer a 'sustainable' liveihood. Canadian communities in the north are being threatened by climate change and globalization.
CLAIM: These communities are ethical in their fundamental approach to hunting: We strongly identify with the value systems of these communities, and make a commitment that carries over to the way we do business: Canada Goose does not buy fur from farms of any sort – ever.
Canada Goose CAN'T buy from fur farms. In Canada, there are no coyote fur farms! Coyote fur can only be obtained from the wild. Coyotes have to be shot or trapped in leg-hold, Conibear or snare traps.
CLAIM: The environmental benefits to using a natural product are clear when compared with the use of synthetics that are sometimes described as an “ethical” alternative to real fur.
This is misleading. Fur in its natural state will rot, decay, smell and collect bugs. All fur has to be treated before it can be made into a garment. The harmful chemicals used in fur production include acids, hydrogen peroxide, chromates, formaldehyde, bleaching agents, and various types of dyes. These substances are not only a concern for human health, they can leech into our environment and water supply.
Many of Canada Goose's jackets are also made with synthetic fabrics. The coyote fur is simply trim around the hood. The rest of the jacket is made with polyester, nylon and much of it is treated with a durable water repellent (DWR) finish. This can consist of chemical compounds, usually fluorocarbons (sometimes called fluoropolymers). Silicone and hydrocarbons are also sometimes used. Compound that with the fact that Canada Goose is a global company, all of their products (and components of their products) have to be shipped around the world - which creates an enormous carbon footprint.
CLAIM: Many anti-fur advocacy groups fail to take into account the environmental impact of the production of synthetic fur.
The Association for the Protection of Fur-Bearing Animals has never advocated the use of fake fur. We believe fake fur just promotes real fur.
P.S. - Canada Goose also uses feathers (down) and wool - both products come with another whole host of concerns about animal welfare.
We encourage you to share your views with Canada Goose, email them at
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Ask us about distributing our anti-Canada Goose postcards too! Email Andrea at
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