Basically Bush

They look cute and cuddly and are protected in their native Australia, but in New Zealand possums have been officially considered a national pest since 1936.

Introduced into New Zealand in 1837 in the hope of establishing a thriving fur trade, possums love it here – the climate and vegetation suit them, as do the tasty morsels of birds, eggs, insects and snails they have consumed to the point of near extinction.

As a consequence, and the possum's role as a carrier of Bovine Tuberculosis, there has long been both official and private culling of possums. The Department of Conservation (DOC) and the Animal Health Board have implemented schemes to eliminate the possum population, spending many millions of dollars of tax payers', local government and farmers' money.

Since its introduction possum fur has been a minor industry but it declined severely in the 1980s due to fashion and animal rights concerns. But times have changed, and there is now a new type of professional hunter, working with companies who want possum fur to use as a fibre. Basically Bush is one such company, which buys possum skins or fur and sells them to companies which produce fibre products containing the fur.

The Start

Basically Bush, founded by Steve and Sue Boot in 1998, is located at Wairata in the middle of the Waioka Gorge, 100km north of Gisborne. Steve has worked in the pest control and the possum fur and skin recovery businesses since 1977. Sue has helped with possum trapping since 1978, later returning to nursing as a career and raising a family before returning to work at Basically Bush full time in 2000. Sue co-ordinates the business and buys fur in the Bay of Plenty region.

Basically Bush also contracts six commissioned agents, located in Northland, Rotorua, Hawke's Bay, Wanganui, Nelson and Blenheim, to buy possum fur on its behalf (with two of these agencies also buying skins).

The Material

In the 1990s, research into uses for possum fur found that it could be combined with merino wool. Possum fur is unique because it is hollow, which enables the fur to be light yet retain warmth. When spun with merino wool a yarn is produced which is light, stable and strong with superior heat-retaining properties.

Basically Bush sells 95% of its fur to Wellington-based Woolyarns which produces a possum/merino mix yarn.

Garments made from these fibres – jerseys, hats, scarves, gloves and socks – are sold on New Zealand's domestic market, to locals and tourists. The fibre manufacturers and knitwear companies are also currently looking at exporting their manufactured products.

The Process

Basically Bush agents buy possum fur and skins from private hunters. Most hunters are part-time, but some work full-time during the peak of the season – May through November – and a few trap throughout the year.

The company's main business is now in possum fur procurement. It also deals in top grade possum skins (the top 10-15% of all possums harvested). If lower grade possum skins are bought, they are used for their fur.

Approximately 50% of possum fur bought by Basically Bush is hand plucked from the warm carcass, after trapping or shooting. A further 45% is retrieved by machine plucking, a method used when the carcass is cold and usually following a poisoning operation. The remaining 5% is sliped (a chemical process used to remove the fur) from skins, another option when harvesting cold carcasses.

To be accepted, the fur must be:

• more than 2cm long, to blend with the merino wool during yarn making; (tail fur is not acceptable, as this is actually hair, not fur).
• dry to the touch as, being hollow; the possum fibre retains moisture very readily, and evaporates it as easily.
• free from contamination – this is one of the company's biggest quality issues and one they are constantly educating the hunters about.

Basically Bush can help hunters find and establish suitable hunting sites, and provides tuition on attaining correct fibre quality and skin processing techniques. They run workshops with the aim of attracting more hunters into the industry. One set of workshops in the Gisborne region was attended by representatives from DOC and the Gisborne District Council, giving these two organisations the opportunity to express their perspective on the possum harvesting industry.

At present Basically Bush sells possum skins through Merchant Tanners in Woodville. Most of the skins processed at Merchant Tanners are sold domestically, to be manufactured into items primarily for the tourism industry. In the past year there has been a renewed interest internationally for possum pelts, as the farmed mink fur market continues to enjoy a high return. Sue comments that, in comparison to this top of the range fur, possum is mid range and used more for collars and cuffs, and as a lining fur.