All mink farms in the Netherlands must stop in March next year. The ‘fur period’ starts in November and once all minks have been stripped of their fur afterwards, the breeders are not allowed to put new animals in their cages.
The early termination of mink farming is the result of the coronavirus outbreak on many farms. More than 40 companies have recently been affected by the virus. The minks have all been cleared there.
It is not the intention that all animals are killed preventively on all remaining farms; the danger to public health is not considered great enough for this.
However, the cabinet is afraid that in the long term virus reservoirs will form on the affected companies, as a result of which more and more people could become infected. The government will save money by not having to stop mink farms with immediate effect. There is also a practical reason that the termination does not take effect immediately: the law must first be amended.
Mandatory quitting scheme
The last 120 mink farms are bought out. It was previously the plan that the mink companies would stop in 2024, but that is being brought forward. According to sources from The Hague, the measures cost the cabinet about 180 million euros: 40 million for the culls, 140 million for a “compulsory stoppers regulation”.
Minister Schouten will tighten up corona measures on the companies in the coming months. She is also conducting an investigation into compliance with the corona rules by the sector. The plans have to be approved by the cabinet tomorrow and Schouten will announce the details tomorrow.
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