Denmark to ban mink farming in authorities U-turn
Mink farming will finish in Denmark by August 2029 after the federal government determined to drop plans to pursue an exemption to an EU-wide ban on the follow.
Denmark was as soon as the biggest producer of mink fur within the global community, however the business has declined attributable to international bans on fur farming, a decline within the fur commerce and an earlier outbreak of a Covid pressure within the nation’s mink inhabitants.
The ban is because of come into impact on 7 August subsequent 12 months, and is adopted by a two-year transition interval to part out the follow.
Danish Nature Minister Christian Rabjerg Madsen mentioned the federal government had chosen animal welfare.
“A enterprise shouldn’t proceed simply because it has existed for a very long time. It also needs to make sense for society, for the macro economy and for the animals,” he mentioned.
The Danish authorities had initially sought an exemption for its mink business when the EU added the mammal to its checklist of invasive species in 2025, prohibiting folks from conserving them.
However, the present coalition authorities, elected in June 2026, reversed this choice and determined to not proceed with the appliance on Friday.
Social Democrat MP Brigitte Vind mentioned it was “a superb day for animal welfare”.
“It is totally the best choice to not apply for a particular scheme for mink breeding in Denmark,” she mentioned.
The Danish Mink Association, which represents breeders, has been approached for remark.
Denmark is without doubt one of the few European international locations to nonetheless produce mink fur, one of many extra frequent pelts utilized in making fur clothes.
However, its manufacturing has slipped behind that of different international locations, equivalent to Poland and China, lately.
The business confronted a disaster throughout the coronavirus pandemic, when the federal government ordered a mass cull of mink after a mutated pressure of Covid-19 was discovered within the animals. Approximately 15 million had been killed.
At the time, the nation had large export exchanges to China and Hong Kong. The authorities later admitted it had no legal basis for the culling.
There at the moment are roughly 15,000 mink left in Denmark.
No prices have but been decided for closing Denmark’s seven remaining mink farms, however an animal welfare spokesperson for one of many governing coalition events beforehand estimated it will be round 14m Danish krone (£1.56m), native media report, however the closing quantity may very well be increased.
The sporting of fur is a controversial topic inside vogue circles, with publications and fashion brands selecting to not use or put it up for sale a number of years in the past.
But it re-entered the spotlight last year, with celebrities and fashionistas sporting each classic and so-called fake fur.
