Progress! Bulgarian Supreme Court Upholds Historic Fur Farming Ban

Earlier this month the fight to end fur farming scored a major victory when Bulgaria’s Supreme Administrative Court (SAC) upheld the nation’s fur farming ban, rejecting an appeal by Farmpro OOD, the operator of Bulgaria’s last mink fur farm. The facility, which had the capacity to breed 129,000 minks a year, shut down in January due to the national ban—and thanks to this ruling, it will not reopen.

The mink farming ban, Order No. РД-449/31.05.2022, was issued by Bulgaria’s Minister of Environment and Water and prohibits the import and breeding of American mink under the Biodiversity Act. American mink are an invasive species in Europe, prompting an EU-wide ban to phase out their import and breeding on environmental grounds. While some countries may still try to seek exemptions, national actions like Bulgaria’s are a critical step forward—both for protecting native wildlife and for ending this form of animal cruelty.

This change offers real hope for animals who endure unimaginable suffering during their short, miserable lives. Undercover footage from a Bulgarian fur farm before the ban showed animals packed into tiny barren cages, many with open wounds and infections, some mutilating themselves or their cage-mates, while the bodies of dead minks were left to rot alongside the living. At just seven months old, these innocent animals were killed in gas chambers so their pelts could be sold to fashion houses.

Bulgaria’s ban, which has effectively shut down this brutal industry, is a milestone that we hope signals wider compliance with the EU’s phase-out of mink farming. Each win builds momentum. Species Unite will continue pushing for the United States to follow Europe’s lead by passing the Mink: Vectors for Infection Risk in the United States Act, while also holding companies accountable. Sephora, for example, does not sell mink eyelashes, but it continues to carry Lily Lashes, a brand that profits from real mink fur in some of its products. We are calling on Sephora to drop the brand entirely. If you haven’t yet, please sign both petitions today to help end this cruelty.