Mink farming has been banned in an increasing number of countries following welfare concerns and COVID-19 outbreaks on farms, creating transition challenges and welfare questions for existing mink populations.
Mink farming welfare problems are structural. Mink are solitary, semi-aquatic predators that swim, dive, and roam large territories in the wild. Cage systems prevent swimming, enforce proximity to other mink, and eliminate hunting and exploration. The result is stereotypic behavior — repetitive swimming, circling, and head-swaying — in a large proportion of farmed mink, indicating chronic stress. Culling operations during COVID-19 outbreaks raised additional acute welfare concerns. The phase-out trend reflects growing recognition that mink welfare needs are incompatible with any economically viable farming system.