Debate contribution: There is a lack of political courage and will to shut down mink farming in Denmark
Written by: Valentina Crast
Note: This is an opinion piece expressing the author's own views.
The Danish cage mink is literally the most vivid and painful proof of our politicians' lack of will, courage, and ability to take care of our land, society, and wildlife.
Denmark's roots in traditional and industrial agriculture prevent the Danish Parliament from taking decisive political action and ensuring the necessary green transition. A transition that all politicians seem to be very concerned about, but the resurgence of mink farming is definitive proof that it is merely a show for the gallery.
No consequences for politicians, but not for animals
You don't have to look far to find an elected representative who is happy to say that they are against fur farming, but there is no political action behind the words. It has become free to express support for a ban on fur production in Denmark and at the same time to let things remain as they are without any consequences. That is, without consequences for the politicians; certainly not for the animals, public health, or our tax dollars. Even with obvious arguments for closing down an already marginalized and dying industry, our politicians are unable to take the step towards permanent closure; and this is at a time when mink cages have already been empty for two years and Kopenhagen Fur has chosen to turn the key. At the same time as Covid is being detected in mink farms in Italy, Danish politicians are giving the green light for the import of new mink to the last stubborn Danish mink breeders, so that animal abuse can continue and the risk of future Corona mutations in the farms can be kept alive. There are now fewer than 100 businesses in Denmark that confine fur animals in small wire cages and then skin them to make skins for frivolous and fragile coats and hair accessories for export. 19 mink farmers and 39 chinchilla farmers. Less than 25 of these people have fur farming as their primary occupation. For the majority of registered breeders, fur farming is "just" a hobby.
This means that we have now chosen to resume and protect a form of production that systematically and fundamentally causes suffering to animals, pollutes the environment, and threatens our public health, because our politicians do not dare to challenge the right of 25 people to engage in unethical and harmful activities.
“Less than 25 of these individuals have fur farming as their primary occupation. For the majority of registered breeders, fur farming is ‘just’ a hobby.”
A quick glance at a map of Europe showing the countries that have banned and phased out fur farming reveals Denmark for what we have become: a country that exploits and tortures animals in every possible way for financial gain and, against its better judgment, refuses to change its ways while the rest of the world empties its cages and introduces new legislation. Denmark seems to share the same values as both Russia and China when it comes to animal welfare. It hurts to come to that realization.
Now is an obvious time to close fur farms
We have reached a point where our public health is threatened, and the response is a panicked mass slaughter of 17 million mink, resulting in a crazy "apology" to the breeders that costs taxpayers 19 billion, and then an invitation from Christiansborg to start it all over again. It sounds like the script for the most absurd Monty Python film. It should not be on our politicians' CVs under "recent projects." The mink breeders' anger at the government's handling of the infection among cagedminks and some of their subsequent fraud involving culling and compensation payments may rightly also cause real concern that among the surviving stubborn breeders there will also be a few who will do what suits them in everyday life and ignore the guidelines that have been laid down. This accusation may seem harsh, but nevertheless, two of the 19 currently registered mink breeders are currently charged with defrauding the authorities and illegally keeping both foxes and mink in cages during the coronavirus crisis. We continue to see outbreaks of COVID on mink farms in Europe, and there is no indication that we will not see COVID outbreaks in Danish herds again in the future.
The threat of zoonoses in agriculture hangs constantly over us and testifies to an urgent need for a radical change in our relationship with animals, but agriculture is focused on its bottom line and politicians are more concerned with their short-term popularity, so the necessary plan for how we should treat animals in Denmark while protecting citizens from pandemics created in animal production is still a long way off.
There has never been a more natural and obvious time to shut down Danish fur farming. So why is the Danish Parliament not taking the step to implement it now? If the Danish Parliament cannot even agree to shut down a dying industry that causes so much harm, how can we trust it to deal with larger industries that are in every way far more deeply entangled in our social economy and employment? It has become difficult for many to trust our leaders, and the consequences of this are increasingly evident in acts of civil disobedience, especially among young activists.
“There has never been a more natural and obvious time to shut down Danish fur farming.”
When animal rights activists block trucks from reaching slaughterhouses, when Extinction Rebellion blocks roads, when the Climate Movement fills the streets with large protests, they do so because their level of ambition, will, ethics, and courage exceed those of our elected representatives, who, instead of leading our society toward even the most obvious improvements, remain paralyzed and contribute to the problems rather than the solutions. There has long been a need to confront our exploitation of animals and the many consequences that come with it. Unfortunately, the arrival of mink shows that we are not yet ready for change, unless it is wrapped up in promises of profit and growth fairy tales – and paradoxically, current and future crises require us to start prioritizing something completely different.
On February 25, 2023, Dyrenes Alliance will Dyrenes Alliance the streets to stop fur farming. We want to shut down the fur industry once and for all so that minks, chinchillas, and rabbits can regain their freedom. If you want the same thing, join us on the streets and demand justice for animals on February 25.