Mink farming causes severe welfare problems due to the inability to meet the complex needs of wild-ranging carnivores in battery cage conditions. Many countries have banned or are phasing out mink farming.
Mink farming represents a case where the welfare gap between natural behaviour and captive conditions is so extreme that meaningful welfare improvements within conventional cage systems are arguably impossible. Mink are naturally wide-ranging, semi-aquatic solitary predators. Standard cage systems deprive them of water access, space, natural substrate, hunting behaviour and appropriate social conditions. The result is near-universal expression of stereotypic behaviours — clear indicators of severe, chronic psychological frustration. Even enriched cages with water access, nesting material and platforms provide only marginal improvement relative to needs. The growing international consensus that mink farming is incompatible with adequate welfare is reflected in bans across Europe and increasing legislative pressure in remaining producing countries.