Mink farming for fur raises profound welfare concerns, with highly active semi-aquatic carnivores confined to small wire cages in conditions incompatible with their behavioral needs.
Mink farming exemplifies the fundamental incompatibility of intensive commercial production with the welfare needs of highly motivated wild animals. Mink have evolved strong drives to swim, hunt, explore extensive territories, and engage in complex predatory behavior. None of these can be meaningfully expressed in wire cages measuring 30cm x 45cm. The predictable result is the chronic stereotypic behavior seen in 30-90% of farmed mink — a behavioral marker of welfare failure. The global trend toward bans reflects growing recognition that this system cannot be reformed to an acceptable welfare standard.