Environment: Mink Yes, Tiger No

Not all the news on the environment front is bad. Last week the Furriers Joint Council of New York, representing 99% of the nation's 11,000 fur workers, announced that it had reached an agreement with the World Wildlife Fund. From now on, its members will not "cut, fashion or fabricate" skins taken from tigers, leopards, cheetahs, jaguars and other animals threatened with extinction by the demand for their hides.

The union action, together with a New York state law forbidding the sale of furs from 14 endangered species, has caused consternation in the skin trade. Some manufacturers have challenged the new law in court. Retailers, particularly in New York City, have slashed prices on spotted furs in order to liquidate stocks. Ben Kahn, for example, is selling $12,000 leopard coats for $6,000 and $6,000 cheetah coats for $3,000.

For all the furor, the ban is not likely to cripple the industry. Less than 1% of its $300 million in annual sales comes from spotted cats; the bulk comes from the sale of minks and other animals bred for their pelts, which are not on the endangered list.

Even with the ban, some conservationists fear that poachers will continue to slaughter the big cats, since the skins can be sold in other countries. Now this avenue appears to be closing too. The International Fur Trade Federation, a London-based union, has announced an embargo on otter, tiger and snow and clouded leopard skins.