Canadians aged 18 to 34 were more than three times as likely as those aged 35 and older to have purchased or considered purchasing fur and sealskin products in the past year, according to a national Omnibus survey by Leger for the Fur Institute of Canada.

Among those that gave a response, 22 per cent of adults aged 18 to 34 said they had purchased or considered purchasing a fur product, compared with six per cent of those aged 35 and older. For sealskin products, the figures were 16 per cent and four per cent, respectively.


The survey also examined Canadians’ views on public discussion of the fur sector. Among those who expressed an opinion, 78 per cent agreed that public discussion about fur does not always reflect most Canadians’ views, 71 per cent agreed that anti-fur campaigns have had negative impacts on Indigenous communities. These percentages exclude respondents who did not express an opinion: 35 per cent for the first statement and 38 per cent for the second.


Among those that gave a response, 34 per cent said they would consider purchasing at least one seal product in the future, including sealskin goods and seal oil-based products. 13 per cent did not know how to respond and were excluded from this calculation. The top factors that would influence purchase consideration for respondents include knowing a fur product supports sustainable wildlife management (28 per cent), and knowing the product was made in Canada and produced humanely (29 per cent). 10 per cent did not know how to respond and were excluded from this calculation.