Animal rights bodies today hailed the Centre for banning import of reptile skin and hides, saying India is gradually emulating the nations across the world in adopting "cruelty free" alternatives to reduce suffering to animals.
The government recently prohibited imports of skin and hides of reptiles, mink and fox.
The Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT), in its January 3 notification, had revised the chapters dealing with the import of raw hides, skin, leather, furskins and artificial fur.
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"We commend the DGFT and Environment Ministry for its firm commitment in abolishing the import of exotic skins, exotic fur, skin. Leather industry slaughters, bludgeons and skins millions of animals every year in the name of frivolous fashion," said Gauri Maulelhi of Humane Society International (HSI) India's government liaison.
Nations across the world are switching to cruelty-free alternatives and we are glad that India is gradually emulating similar policies to reduce and eliminate unnecessary pain and suffering to animals," she said.
Earlier, imports of such items were subject to Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 and Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species.
"Today, with so many stylish and cruelty-free alternatives available, such as fake snake, mock croc, and faux fur, there is absolutely no need or justification for wearing animal skins or fur. Animals are not fabric and we commend the government of India for recognising that fact," said Nikunj Sharma, PETA India Government Affairs Liaison.
PETA India claimed that it was the first to write to the Inspector General of Forests in the Environment Ministry in 2014 and communicated with Union Minister Maneka Gandhi about banning the import of all exotic skins and fur products.
In 2015, the group met with Commerce Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, urging her to ban the import of all exotic skins and fur.
In 2015, PETA India had released an expose, by its US arm,
on two factory farms in Zimbabwe and one in Texas, USA, that supplied crocodile and alligator skins to Hermes-owned tanneries, to create USD 40,000-plus Birkin bags or USD 2,000 watchbands.
In India, Hermes has stores in Delhi and Mumbai.
In December last year, PETA India released a new PETA US video expose of crocodile farms in Vietnam -- including two farms that they said supplies skins to a tannery owned by Louis Vuitton's parent company, LVMH, which has not denied the specific allegations.
Other investigations by PETA India's global affiliates have shown that snakes are commonly nailed to trees and that their bodies are cut open from one end to the other as they are skinned alive, in the belief that live flaying keeps the skins supple.
Meanwhile, HSI India said the notification was issued in following exhaustive campaigning for a ban on trade of exotic skins by People For Animals, HSI-India and People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals and urging the government to take a clear moral stand by closing its doors to the trade.
It said Union Minister Maneka Gandhi had also written a letter to Commerce Minister Nirmala Sitharaman pressing the need to curb cruelty towards animals by prohibiting the import of exotic skins.
Tens of thousands of exotic animals like crocodiles, fox, alligators, minks and others are held captive in factory farms for their fur and skin. The methods used in factory farms are remarkably poor and designed to maximises profits, always at the expense of the animals, HSI India said.
It said that reptiles like crocodiles, alligators and others are crowded in barren concrete pits for months or even years before being skinned alive or slaughtered for their skins which is used for making luxury bags, belts, watchbands and others.
