Farm Animals

Farmed Mink Welfare and Disease Risk

Mink farming confines highly active semi-aquatic predators in small wire cages, causing severe welfare problems and creating public health risks as demonstrated by COVID-19 outbreaks.

Key Facts

Over 50 million mink are farmed for fur annually worldwide primarily in Europe and China
Mink in wire cages show high rates of stereotypic behaviors including pacing and repetitive circling
Mink farms were a major source of SARS-CoV-2 transmission and mutation during the COVID-19 pandemic
The Netherlands and several other EU countries have banned mink farming since 2021

Welfare Considerations

Mink are solitary territorial semi-aquatic predators that would naturally roam over several kilometers of wetland habitat. Confining them in small wire cages causes extreme frustration and psychological suffering manifested as stereotypic behaviors in the majority of caged animals. The COVID-19 pandemic revealed an additional public health dimension to mink farming welfare concerns.

What You Can Do

Refuse to purchase any products made from mink fur
Support campaigns advocating for mink farming bans in your country
Choose synthetic fur alternatives which are now indistinguishable from real fur in many products
Advocate for compensation programs supporting farmers transitioning out of mink production