American mink introduced to Europe through fur farm escapes and releases have had devastating effects on native wildlife while themselves facing welfare challenges in an alien environment.
Feral American mink in the UK occupy an uncomfortable ecological and ethical position. They are non-native invasive predators causing severe harm to native species including water voles and ground-nesting birds. They are also sentient mammals capable of suffering who did not choose to be introduced to an alien continent. Control programs using live cage traps followed by killing (typically gas or shooting) represent the current most humane approach to management. Spring traps cause rapid death but can catch non-target species. The welfare of individual mink being managed must be weighed against the population-level welfare of the species they predate. Prevention through better regulation of mink fur farming is the most effective long-term approach.