Netherlands to Close Down All Mink Fur Farms This Year
Dutch MPs vote to permanently shut all 128 of the country’s mink fur farms, following months of devastating Coronavirus outbreaks.
Credit: Jo-Anne McArthur / We Animals
Politicians in the Netherlands have voted to close all of the country’s mink fur farms by the end of the year.
The move comes after a devastating few months for the Dutch fur farm industry, which has seen Coronavirus reportedly spread from mink to farm workers.
In April, it was reported that workers on Dutch fur farms had passed COVID-19 onto some of the mink. By May, at least two cases were reported of mink having transmitted the virus back onto humans.
The industry responded by culling over 500,000 mink, in an attempt to stop the virus spreading.
Whilst a ban on mink fur farms was already due to come into effect in 2024, the pandemic has now prompted politicians to take more urgent action, with the ordering of the permanent closure of all its fur farms by the end of this year.
Those farms already suffering from Coronavirus outbreaks will not be allowed to reopen. The remaining farms will have until the end of the year to cease operations.
The Netherlands is the fourth largest producer of mink pelts in the world, with exports of around $100 million worth of fur each year.
Brigit Oele, Program Manager at Fur Free Alliance, welcomed the news. “Keeping thousands of mink in crowded, filthy and stressful conditions is a recipe for extreme animal suffering and biological disasters. We welcome today’s vote by Dutch MPs to shut down mink fur farms in the Netherlands and prioritize welfare concerns over the industry’s interests”.
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