In a significant win for animal rights, the Netherlands – one of the world’s largest producers of mink fur – has voted to permanently shut down its mink farms as a consequence of the coronavirus pandemic.
On Tuesday, the Dutch Parliament voted on several proposals impacting the mink industry, including a ban on restocking 17 farms already shut due to COVID-19 outbreaks, as well as ending the commercial breeding of animals vulnerable to the virus, which will include the country’s remaining mink farms. The shutdown is expected to occur by the end of the year, according to National Geographic.
The Netherlands is one of 24 countries where mink farming is still permitted, and in 2018, it saw 4.5 million mink farmed for their fur. In the wild, mink are solitary creatures that spend their days roaming around and swimming. On farms, they’re stuffed into small, filthy cages covered in their own urine and feces.
The country has been slowly phasing out this inhumane industry since 2013, and a nationwide ban on the mink industry was due in 2024, but animal rights campaigners have been pressing for the shutdown to happen sooner.
“It is a huge breakthrough,” said Dutch lawmaker Esther Ouwehand. “The killing of animals for their fur in the Netherlands is finally coming to an end. Besides being morally reprehensible, mink farming is now simply untenable because it poses a threat to public health.”
Since June 6, the Dutch Government has ordered almost 600,000 mink to be gassed in a cull on 13 fur farms to try and stem the spread of coronavirus. So far, no other countries have announced plans to end mink farming due to the pandemic.
The new motions passed by parliament must still be approved by the Dutch Government before they are signed into law.
It’s with great pleasure that I note that Mink farms will remain shut down in the Netherlands. It’s totally unnecessary and inhumane to breed animals by the thousands, let them suffer, just to kill them for their fur. Wearing fur is disgusting. There are plenty of natural fibres and synthetic fibres available to make clothing …
Mankind belongs being Made and follow the law which is not yet embedded world wide YET! ABUSERS WILL SUFFER THE EXACT FATE THEIR VICTIM DOES ! NO IF’S & OR BUTS ABOUT IT – ABUSERS ARE A WASTE OF TAX PAYERS MINEY IN JAIL OR ON PROBATION ! MAKE THEM LEARN THE HARD WAY!
We don’t need fur, it’s selfish and one sided and has caused so many problems. No animal should suffer.
If they cannot be checked over, treated if necessary and then released back into the wild, then the owners have made fools of themselves for making them suffer and wasted thousands of lives unnecessary.
The world should know everything about the fur trade, it will put an end to the disgusting practice.
Fur farming, trapping and all business that involved animal fur would not exist if there was no demand for it…period.
Stop this barbaric killing of minks..
Just make sure that the Netherlands government ACTUALLY does shut all its mink farms. Gassing is one of the most horrific ways to die, these animals do NOT die quickly, but they do die fighting for their last breath, they die vomiting and defecating, they die screaming in agony, pain and fear and it can take up to HALF AN HOUR for these innocent, defenseless animals to die. AND FOR WHAT, so some brain-less, cold-hearted ‘bimbo’ can wear a piece of fur or a trinket adorned with fur. Animals NEED their fur (and feathers and skin) but WE DON’T…..
Amen to that!
Pls stop torturing minks and stop harvesting their fur.
Gee, thanks, Holland, for closing mink farms by mass gassing the poor factory farmed mink crammed into cages. That must have been a nice way to die. It was probably the inhumane and unsanitary conditions that helped the spread of the Covid-19. For a minute I thought I was looking at the abominable crammed cages in the Chinese markets..
GREAT NEWS!!
THANK GOD and THANK YOU this evil, depravedly cruel industry is SHUTTING DOWN — my heart breaks, though, for the innocent, vulnerable MINK who were gassed not long ago — you could’ve returned them to their Natural Habitats — you could’ve networked with Rescue Groups — for a better, life-affirming solution — the fact that this actual unconscionable horrific killing of GASSING occurred is beyond sadistically vile – SHAME ON YOU for this.
so they shut it down because of corona but not because it was a horrid and cruel industry that treated these animals like garbage. I hate some people. I’m glad theses have been shut down, I watched a video (big mistake) of the anal electrocution of animals used for fur and have not been able to wipe the image from my brain. It makes me so furious to think peope are so cruel and heartless.
Someone I know has a friend in the Netherlands who told her they really only closed two of these hellholes.
Awesome it’s about time!
Awesome it’s about time!
Awesome
Wish they could have closed down because they realized how cruel and unnecessary mink farms are. But I guess you could say it’s one good thing coming out of the coronavirus epidemic. Let’s pray it’s really a permanent closure.
Amen!
Good news but they will still import fur from the most barbaric fur industry, namely China.
The campaign to ban imports must also be stepped up and put China out of business.
It’s good that they are going to stop the cruel farming of these poor creatures but then they KILL THEM ALL???? because of coronavirus?? I do not understand that at all… treating cruelty with more cruelty.
It’s good that they are going to stop the cruel farming of these poor creatures but then they KILL THEM ALL???? because of coronavirus?? I do not understand that at all… treating cruelty with more cruelty.
Hip, hip hooray….. astep in the right direction.
All Animals should be free and safe.
On farms, they’re stuffed into small, filthy cages covered in their own urine and feces, if this was a child, or children there would be an outcry. Instead none of this is put into the general media and 4.5 million mink farmed for their fur. Shame on these governments, their leaders and those that support them!!!!
Merci à la Hollande. Un exemple à suivre.
It is a wonderful step taken by the Netherlands government to end mink farms but a very, very bad step to gas 6,00,000 minks. Now animals tights people must take the government to court for outright animal cruelty.
Having worked on a mink farm in the past i know how cruel it is and how unnatural it is to keep animal like this. The worse thing is when they need to be killed for their fur not all breeders use humane ways of doing it and the mink can come to life as it is about to be skinned. Stop this practice and use alternative furs without cruelty to animals. After all it is just vanity
Un exemple à suivre!!!
DO NOT gas these poor animals!!!
The abhorrent industries which heinously exploit animals are powerful and they fight any legislation aimed to shot down their businesses, usually successfully due to wild spread corruption in the governments everywhere in the world…. but I’m hopeful.
Why media don’t focus on animal abuse, destruction of the environment, and related catastrophic consequences?
Dear God in heaven, 600,000 minks and their babies in 13 farms to be gassed. Because of the virus many animals around the world have had a reprieve from the butchery of man. From trophy hunting to the protection of endangered species. Now a new string of virus might be emerging. The wrath of God and nature’s karma have shown their anger to punish man’s disobedience to protect nature and its inhabitants. Greed, indifference and cruelty are the downfall of man and the righteous man has fallen with them.
Don’t gas them!!!! This is how you end farms by gassing 600,000 animals??
Do they ACTUALLY have the Coronavirus???
Set them FREE!!!! If you don’t eat them or keep them as pets, they won’t pass the Coronavirus.
Unfortunately, Jacqueline, the most dangerous predator on earth is a HUMAN without a conscience. And, I have determined that if the only way for a legal business to PROFIT, is to indulge in barbaric cruelty and murder of its victims, then the business is ALLOWED to legally exist. Governments are the # 1 complicators of animal cruelty and animal murder.
Unfortunately the fate of farm animals is always the same. Men are evil species and did not learn from all the previous epidemics and pandemics, I don’t know what would it take to save our planet and all life it supports; deadly bacteria and viruses do not discriminate and all humanity wants is to go back to “normal’. It’s just heartbreaking. God and nature’s karma must work faster and be just.
Well said Helene B, I agree!!
Excellent news indeed. The part about shutting down the mink farms. Not the part about killing all of those poor mink. May the suffering be over. Sooner rather than later.
It’s great news, but they will kill 600,000 minks anyways instead of freeing them. Which is so wrong as well.
YAY!!!! BLESS ALL WHO HELPED GET THIS DONE, AMEN..
I hope it’s permanent. We need to keep an eye on these mink farms-they could sneak them back in.
This good news indeed.
Yay ! Woo- !!’ Well Done !!
I heard recently from people who live in Holland that only a few have been closed!! Reason being that too many little ones being born!
I heard recently from people who live in Holland that only a few have been closed!! Reason being that too many little ones being born!
COMMIt is good that it is definitely over and that all mink farms are banned in the Netherlands But how many animals have been murdered because they could possibly transmit the infection? Even the baby minks did NOT escape this terrible death. The animals had a terrible agony and these killers had absolutely no respect for the animal!
Those who wear or use fur should only get corona and also be killed to prevent spreading. Man is totally rotten!
good news. .. how many more countries are there to go now to stop all cruelty…