Mink farming for fur has faced increasing scrutiny over animal welfare concerns. Many countries have banned the practice while others continue to reform or phase out production.
Mink are wild-natured animals whose behavioural needs cannot be met in the small wire cages of fur farms. Their natural behaviours — swimming, hunting, solitary roaming — are entirely frustrated by intensive confinement. High rates of stereotypic pacing, self-mutilation, and aggression in farmed mink reflect the profound mismatch between their nature and their housing. The welfare case for ending mink farming is strong and has persuaded governments across Europe, though global production continues to shift to regions with fewer regulations.