Fur farms: Netherlands gasses minks due to Corona

The first facility to be cleared was on Saturday, 6 June 2020, in Deurne in the east of the country, with around 1’500 minks and their young, said a spokesperson for the responsible authority. At least eight fur farms are affected. They are located not far from the German border.

Animal welfare activists had attempted to prevent the clearance with an injunction. However, a court gave the green light on Friday evening. The ministry fears that the fur farms could become a persistent source of infection.

At least two people are believed to have been infected with the coronavirus by minks — at least that is the assumption of the Ministry of Agriculture in The Hague. It has therefore ordered the clearance of the facilities. The reason cited is the concern that the farms could become a hotbed of coronavirus infection.

Coronavirus detected on mink farms

At the end of April, the coronavirus was detected in several minks on Dutch fur farms (Netherlands: Coronavirus discovered on mink farm). The affected animals had reportedly suffered from gastrointestinal problems and respiratory distress.

The animals are killed with a gas and the carcasses are then disposed of by a specialist company. The stalls are subsequently to be disinfected. Over the coming days, all eight affected facilities are to be cleared.

In the Netherlands there are still around 150 fur farms. From 2024, the breeding of minks is banned following a court ruling. The animal welfare problem of the fur industry is documented worldwide.

The Friedrich Loeffler Institute reported in mid-May that flying foxes and ferrets are susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 infection, whereas pigs and chickens are not. Dogs are considered to have low susceptibility to the virus, while cats are somewhat more susceptible. Infections in tigers and lions have been reported from New York.

Populism and Financial Gain as Motivation

Mink farm owners support culling, as they are currently selling pelts below cost and quarantine measures are difficult to implement. They are hoping for compensation. Their motivation is financial gain.

The motivation of politicians to gas minks appears to have a populist basis: to appease the fears of a public that is poorly informed about the scientific facts.

Health Minister Hugo de Jonge and Agriculture Minister Carola Schouten said that the communities in which mink farms are located are very concerned. This also applies to the breeders themselves. These concerns are not based on facts or rational considerations.