Utterly unacceptable, terrible and backwards: The government wants to continue mink farming
No animal should be exploited
At Dyrenes Alliance, we believe that all animals deserve freedom and rights. We are therefore deeply concerned and dismayed that the government has now decided that mink farming should remain legal in Denmark.
Keeping and killing millions of predators in tiny wire cages on fur factory farms for a non-essential fashion product is both cruel and outdated. Fur farming will never be compatible with good animal welfare and it's time to end fur farming.
Fur farms not only cause enormous animal suffering, they are also an environmental disaster and pose a serious threat to human health.
The disastrous corona cull
Most people remember the great mink scandal. Denmark was the world's leading mink skin exporter when, in 2020, the Danish government decided to cull the country's more than 15 million mink due to a suspected corona mutation in the animals.
It was the hope of many animal rights activists that mink were taking the fur industry with them to the grave - but now, sadly, it appears otherwise.
After the mink cull, the Danish government temporarily banned fur farming until 2021. Based on recommendations from the Center for Treatment of Infectious Diseases, the government decided to extend the ban on fur farming until 2022. But now it will be legal to keep mink in Denmark again.
We at Dyrenes Alliance are strongly opposed to this. And we are not alone.
Several Danish animal rights groups and parties would like to see a permanent end to fur farming.
This is mainly from an animal ethics perspective, but several outbreaks of corona on mink farms have shown the public health risks that can arise from fur production due to a lack of animal health. As concerns about animal welfare grow, 17 other European countries have already acted to ban the farming of animals for their fur.
Fur industry
Denmark used to be the world's largest exporter of mink skins, and the auction house Copenhagen Fur is the world's largest, supplying skins primarily to China and Hong Kong.
However, revenues in the fur industry have been steadily declining in recent years - and Copenhagen Fur has declared that it will close permanently within the next few years.
Due to ethical and environmental concerns from consumers, the internationally renowned fashion magazine Vogue reports how "an increasing number of luxury brands and retailers are banning fur and exotic skins."
These consumers can be inspired by the countless animal rights organizations around the world that are fighting for people to realize that the fur industry is inherently cruel and unethical. The International Anti Fur Coalition has more than 50 member organizations that support an end to fur farming.
Humane Society International claims that "animals bred for their fur (. . .) are confined in small, barren wire cages their entire lives. Unable to express their basic natural behaviours (...) these naturally active and curious animals have been shown to display the stereotypical behaviours of mental distress, such as repetitive movements and circling inside their cages."
And pressure from NGOs has had an effect. In recent decades, more than 20 countries have severely restricted or banned fur farming altogether, while Israel as well as several US states and cities have banned all sales of real fur.
Unfortunately, Denmark is not following suit. We cannot understand this, and we are deeply concerned about the government's decision.
Help the animals: Minks need you
Even though the latest news is very sad and a major setback for Danish animal welfare, we will never give up fighting for a fur-free Europe!
We will be holding various protests and demonstrations all over Denmark that you can join. You can find an overview of upcoming events here.
It has never been more obvious that the fur industry is not the future, which is why the fight for an EU ban must be fought now.
Together we can achieve our goals, but the minks need YOUR signature. Sign and read more about the European Citizens' Initiative directly to the European Commission here.
* Note: There used to be a link, but the petition has ended. Instead, you can support our fight against fur farming by donating here.
In the EU, there is momentum for a fur ban. 12 EU countries have called on the Commission to work for a ban. Moreover, the Commission is already engaged in a comprehensive review of EU animal welfare legislation, which is an obvious opportunity to consign the European fur industry to the history books.
Conclusion: The future of the fur industry
So is there a future for the fur industry? No!
The decision on whether the mink ban should be permanent or not has a major impact on both Denmark's reputation abroad and the lives of millions of animals.
The fur trade shows all the signs of being a dying industry: a decline in consumer support, in sales and in income. That mink can spread serious diseases to humans for the price of a simple commodity should be the last straw for politicians.
Luxury goods can never justify an animal living its life in suffering and captivity.
Times are changing - and it's time for minks to keep their fur on! Want to speak out against fur and animal cruelty? Become part of the alliance.
