Stephen has written to the Defence Secretary, Ben Wallace, asking that his department ban the use of real bearskin for military caps.
The Government currently uses bearskin for the ceremonial caps worn by the Queen’s Guards. Many bears - mostly Canadian black bears - are shot, or severely hurt from this process.
In recent years, ECOPEL and PETA have created a faux fur, which they describe as being “…virtually indistinguishable in appearance and performance” to traditional fur. Not only does the new fur meet the Government’s requirements, but it is also environmentally friendly, lighter and minimises waste. ECOPEL are also committing to supply faux fur freely until 2030.
After sending the letter, Stephen said “The Government should be finding ways to actively cut down the use of bearskin. The faux fur from PETA and ECOPEL sounds very promising. I hope the Ministry of Defence will consider it as a long-term replacement.”