Denmark to ban mink farming in government U-turn
The Danish government has reversed its decision to seek an exemption from an EU-wide ban on mink farming, effectively ending the industry by 2029. The move follows a decline in the fur trade and concerns regarding animal welfare.
Why it matters
This marks the end of a major agricultural sector in Denmark, reflecting broader European shifts toward stricter animal welfare regulations.
Image source, Getty Images By Jamie Whitehead Published 43 minutes ago Mink farming will end in Denmark by August 2029 after the government decided to drop plans to pursue an exemption to an EU-wide ban on the practice.
Denmark was once the largest producer of mink fur in the world, but the industry has declined due to global bans on fur farming, a decline in the fur trade and an earlier outbreak of a Covid strain in the nation's mink population.
The ban is due to come into effect on 7 August next year, and is followed by a two-year transition period to phase out the practice.
Danish Nature Minister Christian Rabjerg Madsen said the government had chosen animal welfare.
"A business should not continue just because it has existed for a long time. It should also make sense for society, for the economy and for the animals," he said.
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