At least twelve people have been infected by the mink farm strain though hundreds of cases could be linked to it. The culling of at least 2.5 million minks in northern Denmark has started, authorities said Monday after the coronavirus has … [10] Fur trade has been declared as one of the twenty nine "special competence clusters in Danish economic life" by the Ministry of Commerce in Denmark. Fur farming is the practice of breeding or raising certain types of animals for their fur. If the animal isn’t a common pet or an endangered zoo animal, there’s less outrage when it’s killed. COPENHAGEN, Denmark -- The Danish government said Tuesday it wants to ban mink farming until the end of 2021, as it presented a law proposal that … Mink are seen at the farm of Henrik Nordgaard Hansen and Ann-Mona Kulsoe Larsen near Naestved, Denmark on Nov. 6, 2020. Denmark, the world's largest mink fur producer, is to mass cull some 16 -17 million minks after mutated forms of coronavirus spread to humans. Using … Amid a COVID-19 outbreak that has spread to humans, up to 17 million mink are set to be killed in Denmark’s largest-ever mass mink culling, according to BBC News. Denmark went so far as to cull 17 million minks in November in response to outbreaks at more than 200 mink farms. Danish research played a vital role in the creation of a new set of European rules to protect fur animals launched in 1999. “With or without a cull, the animals on these farms would still be violently killed at some point,” Ashley Byrne, an associate director at PETA, said. Symbols on the sketch: "D" on the sketch marks the entry gate, areas marked "A" represent segregated cages for male and female minks and "O" represents the trees grown in the open space. Outbreaks have been reported in … The virus, officials said, spread from human handler to mink, mutated, and then spread back to humans. Denmark's parliament on Monday passed a law banning the keeping of minks for a year, following the country's controversial cull of all minks over a mutated strain of the novel coronavirus. Denmark's government wants to dig up some of the culled minks from the mass graves. Additionally, mink farming has been banned in Denmark until 31 December 2021, including import and export of live mink. But Marc Kaufman, a fur merchant in New York City who sells a lot of mink coats, said there is no reason for his industry to worry about the outbreaks. At fur farms, minks are densely packed in conditions ripe for close contact with one another. The Danish government said Tuesday it wants to ban mink farming until the end of 2021, as it presented a law proposal that would allow for the culling of 15 million minks as announced last week. Runstadler, who studies emerging diseases in animals, said the outbreak in minks hasn’t surprised many in his field, in part because of the conditions in which they live. The culling began late last month, after many mink cases were detected. It also attaches pretty well to cats, but not as well to dogs and cows, he said. By Ole Jensen/Getty Images. COVID-19 hits U.S. mink farms after ripping through Europe. Right: Mink breeder with a young pearl mink, "FACTS: Denmark is the world's largest producer of mink fur", "Denmark says it will cull 17 million mink after discovering a mutated strain of COVID-19 that officials fear could 'restart' the entire global pandemic", "Ny corona-mutation er en kæp i hjulet pÃ¥ vaccinen: Det ved vi om 'cluster 5, "Methods for the identification of farm escapees in feral mink (, "The culling of minks in Denmark prompts a political crisis", "Danish Agriculture Minister Resigns Amid Criticism For Ordering Mink Cull", "Danish farm minister quits over mink scandal", "Danish lawmakers ban mink farming until 2022 amid coronavirus outbreak | DW | 21.12.2020", "Danish mink industry toasts a Chinese chill", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Mink_industry_in_Denmark&oldid=995573244, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 21 December 2020, at 20:01. Mink breeder Thorbjoern Jepsen holds up a mink, as police forcibly gained access to his mink farm in Gjoel, Denmark, Friday, Oct. 9, 2020. “I worry we are not doing enough to monitor that situation to make sure this virus isn’t spilling into the animal populations,” Runstadler said. (Henning Bagger /Ritzau Scanpix via AP) “The other area to be concerned about is having this virus spill into an animal host that becomes a regional or local reservoir for viral infections,” Runstadler said. Denmark is one of the world's main mink fur exporters, producing an estimated 17 million furs per year. Morten Stricker / Ritzau Scanpix via AFP - Getty Images file. Denmark has been a leader in breeding and veterinary science for mink for decades now, being the producer of 17 million pelts a year, out of 50 million sold globally. The Danish government said Tuesday it wants to ban mink farming until the end of 2021, as it presented a law proposal that would allow for the culling of 15 million minks as announced last week. “Big picture, it’s not probably a big deal because few people have contact with minks.”. When outbreaks occur at farms, local health departments are mandating quarantines. Stampe’s company sells fur coats wholesale to outlets in Europe, the … Four were found in the local community, rather than … “Transmission back to people is more a concern at a personal level,” Weese said. Denmark, the world’s largest mink fur exporter, produces an estimated 17 million furs per year. If Russia doesn’t, China will. Mink breeder Thorbjoern Jepsen holds up a mink, as police forcibly gained access to his mink farm in Gjoel, Denmark, on Oct. 9, 2020. Mink give birth to their litter of generally five offspring in the nesting boxes; they also feed the litter in the nesting boxes. Denmark is not the first country to report outbreaks on fur farms but it is the world's biggest producer. Most of its exports go to China and Hong Kong. Denmark's mink farmers are mourning what they say is the death of their industry after a government order to cull all of their stocks over a mutated variant of the new coronavirus. Mads Claus Rasmussen / Ritzau Scanpix via Reuters file. We know Covid-19 came from an animal host, and spilled into humans recently, said Jonathan Runstadler, professor in the department of infectious disease and global health at the Tufts University Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine. Danish mink farming has played a leading role in promoting animal welfare, and this included the first guidelines for fur animal research in 1985 at a time when no welfare rules existed for any other type of livestock farming. By. The decision to cull the minks was a drastic one. [8] By the mid-1980s, Denmark was the second largest mink producer, behind the United States. [12], It was revealed in late November that the Minister for Agriculture, Mogens Jensen, and five other ministers had been made aware in September that the culling of the entire country's mink population, rather than just those in the infected areas, would be illegal. Denmark passed a law Monday banning mink breeding for a year, following the country’s controversial cull of all the animals over a mutated strain of the coronavirus, according to reports. The northern region of the country, where most fur farms lie, was placed under strict lockdowns. Mink farm owner Stig Sørensen in Bording, Denmark. Here in Denmark… Denmark on Monday banned mink farming until the start of 2022 after it emerged that a strain of the coronavirus can be passed between the animals and humans. I’m not even sure it’s dawned on me how grave the consequences will be for us. More Information on Mink Farming Statement on Mink Culling in Denmark The Danish government has controversially culled millions of mink from farms after a mutated strain of coronavirus was detected in the animals. “We should be identifying the interfaces where humans and animals are in close and frequent enough contact that virus spillover is possible, and doing surveillance.”. "We have 65,000 mink. At fur farms, scientists have seen Covid-19 transfer from minks to cats through mink manure, and are worried about what would happen if it gets into wildlife populations. Under UK law, minks, as well as foxes and moles, are protected under … Denmark's mink farmers are mourning what they say is the death of their industry after a government order to cull all of their stocks over a mutated variant of the new coronavirus. Economic support packages have … Spain, Sweden, Italy, and the US have all been affected, as has the Netherlands, where mink farming will be outlawed by spring next year. “Water rises all,” he said. Circa 2012, the average price per mink skin was 582 Danish crowns (US$100), then the highest price ever recorded at Kopenhagen Fur. Things happen.” he said. [4], Left: A typical mink farm layout in 1908. News of “zombie minks,” pushed up from their shallow and quickly built graves by the gas created from their decomposing bodies, has only furthered anger. And across the Atlantic, mink farms in the U.S. are seeing Covid-19 spread and deaths of their own. The Danish government spared no mink, killing infected and healthy animals, alike. Each auction typically sells some 260 million euro worth of fur and lasts five days. Auctions are held five times in a year, with the first held in December after the newly pelted skins are ready, and the last in September. “We have viruses that are just human viruses or dog viruses or cat viruses,” he explained. A Danish mink farm might have 13,000 cages, set in rows of 60 metres (200 ft) length, and 43 sheds in which two to four minks are housed. Animal Protection Denmark, an advocacy group, recommended a long-term solution to the problem of mink and coronavirus: “The right decision would be to end mink farming … In the December 2012 auction, there were 500 bidders with 85 percent of the pelts purchased by customers from China. Denmark is among the largest mink exporters in the world and produces an estimate 17 million furs per year. Demand is there, and need for the product is there. Denmark's mink farmers are mourning what they say is the death of their industry after a government order to cull all of their stocks over a mutated variant of the new coronavirus. Denmark has reported 214 human cases linked to mink farms, of which 12 are thought to be of cluster 5. More than 50 million mink a year are bred for their fur, mainly in China, Denmark, the Netherlands and Poland. “There is still some debate over whether it's a relevant change, and there’s not a clear answer on that,” Weese said. [17] Danish fur farms produce about 15.6 million minks annually. [9] In 1983, it produced 8.3 million pelts, amounting to 22 percent of world production, and in 2002, it produced 12.2 million pelts, representing nearly 40 percent of world production. Ministry staff conducted inspections at each of the province’s licensed mink farms to … [11] Though the country has some of the largest mink farms in the world, it also has many small business mink farms run by families. The fur farming industry directly employs 6,000 people in Denmark, 1,500 of whom are farmers. mink farms in the U.S. are seeing Covid-19, Covid mink farm outbreaks brew controversy in the scientific community, tearing up as she called it a “regrettable mistake”. Fur farming is the practice of breeding or raising certain types of animals for their fur.. Denmark’s government has submitted a bill that would ban mink farming until 2022 while it seeks to address concerns that the animals may spread mutated variants of coronavirus to humans. Denmark will cull about 17 million mink after a mutated form of coronavirus that can spread to humans was found on mink farms. They need to stick onto something. In northern Wisconsin, two farms in Taylor County are currently under quarantine after recent outbreaks killed 5,500 minks. The Danish government said Tuesday it wants to ban mink farming until the end of 2021, as it presented a law proposal that would allow for … All 12 cases were identified in September 2020 in North Jutland, Denmark. Today, more than 45% of the global market is produced or processed in Denmark. COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) — The Danish government said Tuesday it wants to ban mink farming until the end of 2021, as it presented a law proposal that … The animals can’t move on or off the farm, said Kevin Hoffman, the public information officer for Wisconsin’s Division of Animal Health. An excavator dumps dead mink into a ditch earlier this month. Denmark wants to ban mink farming until end 2021 (Associated Press) Denmark has found 214 people infected with mink-related coronavirus: State Serum Institute (Reuters) Mink carcasses are disposed of at a farm in Farre in the southern part of Jutland, Denmark Read More Related Articles. COPENHAGEN, Denmark -- The Danish government said Tuesday it wants to ban mink farming until the end of 2021, as it presented a law proposal that … This has an annual export value of EUR 1,1 billion. [16], Climatic conditions in Denmark, where the winter is mild and the summer is cool, are considered ideal for husbanding animals with fur cover. By 25 November, mink on all 289 affected mink farms, and farms within an assigned zone, were culled. [11], In November 2020, a mutated strain of COVID-19 was found in the animals necessitating the government to cull seventeen million mink because of a fear that they could be the catalyst for restarting the international pandemic. In the coming week all will be put down," Danish mink farmer Martin From told the BBC in November. It’s a very good match.”. “When you’ve got a disease that is killing lots of people, there is less willingness to be lax with the animal side,” he said. Denmark is the world's biggest producer of mink fur, with a turnover of some 1.1 billion euros a year. The country's prime minister later apologized and its food and agriculture minister stepped down when the order to kill the animals was declared illegal. Denmark bans mink farming for a year after coronavirus cull. Since the mass slaughter, hundreds of mink carcasses have emerged from their graves. Denmark needs to follow their lead and put an end to fur farming! [6] In November 2020, the Danish government announced that all remaining mink in Denmark would be culled by 16 November 2020. Aan employee removing dead mink from a chamber after they were gassed on a farm near Naestved, Denmark on Nov. 6, 2020. Mink farming was introduced to Denmark close to one hundred years ago and Denmark has become the world’s largest producer of mink skins. “These Covid-19 outbreaks and the grisly circumstances that have gone along with them in the mink industry are just more evidence that the fur industry needs to be finished.”. Covid mink farm outbreaks brew controversy in ... - NBC News An excavator dumps dead mink into a ditch earlier this month. Denmark has announced a complete cull of all mink on Danish farms - a total of up to 17 million animals - due to spiralling Covid-19 infections. Facing calls for resignation from the parliamentary opposition and sharp public criticism,[13] Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen acknowledged that the order to cull all minks was illegal, and Jensen resigned on November 18. Byrne called the farms a “recipe for a disaster” in a pandemic, stressing fur farms put humans at risk, too. Fuzzy thinking A covid-19 mutation belatedly forces Denmark to halt mink farming. [14] A deal was later reached to retroactively make the government's order legal. IE 11 is not supported. AFP - December 21, 2020 11:51 PM. But Denmark’s decision was not without detractors. Most of its exports go to China and Hong Kong. There is also some worry that a mutated form of the virus, given to humans by minks, could make it more difficult to implement an effective vaccine. Denmark is one of the world's main mink fur exporters - producing millions of furs per year. But we do know a few things that are raising eyebrows. UK hospitals to isolate suspected 'mink Covid' patients amid mutant virus fears [3] Mink produced in Denmark is considered to be the finest in the world and is ranked by grade, with the best being Saga Royal, followed by Saga, Quality 1, and Quality 2. “This virus attaches well to mink. Jeppe Kofod said at a press conference in early November. For animal rights groups, the debacle illustrates why fur farming should be eliminated. (CNN) The United Kingdom has banned travelers from Denmark after the country reported a widespread outbreak of a new variant of the virus which causes Covid-19 in mink farms. Concerted efforts of Kopenhagen Fur and Danish Animal Welfare Society (Dyrenes Beskyttelse), have optimized the environmental conditions for mink farming by developing rules, which received approval by the Ministry of Justice in 2007. As a result of Covid-19-related culls of mink in Denmark and the Netherlands, China could take over as the world’s top mink … [17] Fish waste from the fishing industry is used as feed at mink farms. ... negotiated and the government is introducing legislation effectively banning mink farming … Even at peak, the Irish and Greek mink industries were never even a fraction the size of the now largely liquidated mink industry in Denmark, which before the COVID-19 pandemic produced about 40% of the mink pelts sold worldwide. Kopenhagen Fur, located in Copenhagen, is the world's largest fur auction house; annually, it sells approximately 14 million Danish mink skins produced by 2,000 Danish fur farmers, and 7 million mink skins produced in other countries. Data from animal rights group Humane Society International puts Denmark as the world’s second-largest exporter of mink fur, behind China. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen apologized for the killing, tearing up as she called it a “regrettable mistake” and admitting the government did not have the legal jurisdiction to cull so many animals. There are 5,000 fur farms in the EU, all located across 22 countries; these areas of production collectively account for 50% of the global production of farmed fur. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. Still, we don’t know much about how it works in minks or other animals, in part because scientists have been busy trying to figure out how Covid-19 affects humans. Mads Claus Rasmussen / AFP - Getty Images file. Outrage fomented in Denmark after images and videos of botched killings and mass mink graves circulated, and farmers spoke to the hardship this would cause them. Denmark’s prime minister broke down in tears Thursday while visiting a mink farmer whose herd was killed on government orders meant to curb … [18] A Danish mink farm might have 13,000 cages, set in rows of 60 metres (200 ft) length, and 43 sheds in which two to four minks are housed. Some 215 mink farms in Jutland region are infected with this type of coronavirus, and therefore a regional lockdown has been announced to curb the infection. Around the world, minks are getting sick. Now it is about to embark on a massive cull of around 17 million mink … Kopenhagen Fur serves as a farmers' cooperative. Kopenhagen Fur, a cooperative of 1,500 Danish breeders, accounts for … Value of EUR 1,1 billion cases could be linked to it to cull 17 furs... 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