Another fashion giant boycott's Aussie wool

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The People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) has successfully urged Miami-based Perry Ellis International to boycott wool from Australian mulesed sheep.

The global fashion giant, which boasts Australian professional golfer Aaron Baddeley as the face of one of its clothing lines, said that it would direct vendors not to purchase wool from suppliers using mulesing, a technique used largely by Australian farmers where skin is removed from a sheep's rear end to protect it from fly strike

Animal rights activist said that a lot of global companies were on the brink of joining the growing list of retailers calling for Australian farmers to switch to alternatives. Oscar Feldenkreis, President of Perry Ellis, said that his company would be in contact with the Australian wool industry.

"Perry Ellis International has a long-standing commitment to animal welfare. We have been aware of the mulesing mutilation that is performed on lambs for a number of years," News.com.au quoted Feldenkreis, as saying in a letter to PETA.

Perry Ellis, one of the largest retailers of men's suits and sportswear in the world, has also banned wool from sheep that have been clip-mulesed, a new technique Australian farmers hoped would be acceptable to animal rights groups. The company"s boycott of wool is the latest success for US-based PETA in its five-year war with Australian wool farmers.