In progress to end the cruel fur farming industry, Denmark’s government reversed previous plans to seek an exemption from the EU-wide ban on mink farming. This paves the way for the country to end the practice once and for all, according to an official announcement from the Danish Ministry for Nature and Animal Welfare.
The phase-out will begin on August 7, 2027, with a two-year transition period to close the remaining seven farms, which currently hold about 15,000 mink.
Mink raised for fur spend their lives confined to small wire cages before being killed for their pelts. The government’s decision is another step toward ending an industry that breeds and kills animals solely for their coats.
“A business should not continue just because it has existed for a long time,” said Danish Nature Minister Christian Rabjerg Madsen, according to the BBC. “It should also make sense for society, for the economy and for the animals.”
Denmark was once the world’s largest mink fur producer. In 2020, the government ordered the mass killing of 15 million mink after a strain of Covid-19 was discovered among the animals. Later, the government admitted it had no legal basis to do so.
The fur industry has long been controversial. As more people wear vintage or faux furs, the global demand for real fur has declined dramatically. Many leading fashion houses, including Gucci, Versace, and Prada, have adopted fur-free policies to end the needless killing of mink and other animals for fashion.
More than 1.5 million people signed the European Citizens’ Initiative for a Fur Free Europe, calling for an end to fur farming and the sale of farmed fur products in the EU.
This battle is ongoing and far from over. Greece and Finland are two active fur farming holdouts in the EU, and in the U.S., mink farming remains legal federally.
Although Denmark’s decision is a significant victory for animal welfare, thousands of mink remain on farms during the transition period. Ending the industry will prevent future generations from being bred and killed for their fur.
Lady Freethinker will continue to campaign for a permanent end to the brutal fur trade. If you haven’t already, please sign our petition urging a fur ban at Milan Fashion Week.
