Mink are semi-aquatic carnivores kept in wire cages on fur farms. The industry raises profound welfare questions due to the animals natural behavioral needs conflicting with intensive confinement.
Farmed mink suffer from severe spatial restriction, social stress, inability to swim (a core natural behavior), and high rates of self-injurious stereotypies. Scientific assessments consistently find that intensive mink farming cannot meet the species basic welfare needs. The industry has faced closures worldwide due to both welfare concerns and disease risks.