A monitor lizard. Lizards are often tied up and kept in plastic bags for days before they are slaughtered.
Swatch takes a stand against exotic leather
Posted October 19, 2010 | By Sonia Nair
Swatch Group has responded to an outcry against exotic leather after a Swiss television channel exposed the unacceptable conditions that surround the obtainment of exotic animal leathers.
Schweizer Fernsehen televised a report showing the cruelty of exotic-leather trade in Indonesia. It was revealed that lizards set for slaughtering are often tied up and kept in plastic bags for days while snakes are skinned alive. Other reptiles are supposedly bludgeoned with hammers.
In a statement, the executive management of Swatch Group – which has a strict set of ethical guidelines – said it would investigate if any exotic leather was used in its products and if so, would undertake on-site inspections of all its leather suppliers.
“Products from such doubtful sources as those described by Swiss television have no place in the Swatch Group product offering,” the company said in a statement.
Despite Swatch’s strict stance against exotic leathers, they only constitute a small proportion of the leather in Swatch watches. Nearly 100 per cent of the leather is obtained from controlled animal breeders in the United States.
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