Farmed Mink Phase-Out: Welfare and Industry Transition

The phase-out of mink farming in Europe and beyond is accelerating, driven by animal welfare concerns and the pandemic exposure risk from mink farms.

Key Facts

Mink farming has been banned in over 15 European countries including the UK (2000), Netherlands (2021) and France (2021)
The Netherlands had approximately 170 mink farms when the phase-out was legislated, requiring significant industry transition support
COVID-19 outbreaks on mink farms led to emergency culling of millions of mink in Denmark and the Netherlands in 2020
Remaining mink production is concentrated in countries including China, Poland and Canada
Fur farming causes welfare problems from semi-aquatic animals kept in small wire cages with no water access

Welfare Considerations

Mink are semi-aquatic, wide-ranging predators whose welfare needs cannot be met in cage farm conditions. The welfare case against mink farming is among the strongest for any commercially farmed animal: the species is not domesticated to captivity, the welfare harms of cage confinement are severe, and there is no food production justification - only luxury fur production. The rapid progress of legislative bans across Europe demonstrates that democratic societies are increasingly rejecting mink farming as incompatible with basic animal welfare standards.

What You Can Do

Support campaigns for mink farming phase-out in countries where it remains legal
Avoid purchasing fur products and advocate for luxury goods companies to move away from animal fur
Support transition assistance for former mink farmers converting to other agricultural activities
Advocate for international trade restrictions on imported mink fur from countries that have banned domestic production
Engage with fashion brands about committing to fur-free production