China will introduce new regulations aimed at improving the living conditions of animals raised for the fur industry, a forestry official announced.

"The State Forestry Administration (SFA) has enacted a series of regulations on wildlife rearing techniques," said Zhuo Rongsheng, director of the wildlife and plants protection department of the SFA, at a press conference on Monday.

Along with new regulations the administration is set to offer training courses for fur-farming factories.

Some fur-farming factories have been found to rear animals in poor living conditions and their slaughtering and skinning practices are also below the authorized standards, according to an official's report.

A probe into the skinning of raccoons alive found that the practice was not widespread. Zhuo acknowledged, "Initial investigations found (skinning a live animal) is bad for fur quality and also decreases production efficiency, so it is by no means the commonly accepted practice."

(Xinhua News Agency February 28, 2006)