Farm Animals

Farmed Mink: Welfare and Public Health

Mink farming for fur subjects highly active, semi-aquatic carnivores to severe confinement. Beyond welfare concerns, mink farms emerged as COVID-19 hotspots, linking fur farming to public health risk.

Key Facts

An estimated 60-80 million mink are farmed globally for fur each year
Cage sizes typically provide less than 1 square metre of space per animal
Mink are solitary in the wild; farm housing causes aggression and stereotypies
Mink farms in Europe were linked to COVID-19 transmission and variant emergence
Over 20 European countries have banned or phased out mink farming

Welfare Considerations

Mink are adapted for wide-ranging semi-aquatic habitats. Confinement in wire cages with no water access for swimming causes severe welfare compromise: stereotypic pacing, self-mutilation, and high aggression are common. Killing methods including CO2 gassing and neck breaking can cause protracted suffering. The COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated that intensive mink farming also poses pandemic risk, strengthening the case for global phase-out.

What You Can Do

Avoid purchasing fur products or fur-trimmed fashion items
Support campaigns for national fur farming bans
Choose faux fur alternatives for clothing and accessories
Support the phase-out of mink farming as a public health measure
Donate to organisations lobbying for fur farming prohibitions