Sweden lifts mink farming restrictions
Sweden lifts all restrictions on mink farms that had been introduced following the spread of SARS-CoV-2 on fur farms.
Restrictions lifted as of 1 January 2023
With effect from 1 January 2023, Sweden has lifted all temporary restrictions on mink farms that had been introduced following the dramatic spread of SARS-CoV-2 on fur farms during the pandemic.
The transfer of live mink and the establishment of new mink farms was banned in Sweden in 2022, but it was decided to discontinue the measures this year, as the risk to human life from COVID-19 is considered to be lower.
The majority of health monitoring of mink on the country's fur farms now falls under the responsibility of the Swedish mink association Svensk Mink.Djurens Rätt has criticised this programme, which provides for only one additional veterinary visit per year.
I am very concerned that the mink industry must do something it was not able to do before, namely keep the mink healthy. There is a risk that the mink will become seriously ill and die in the already inadequate environment in which they live.
Camilla Bergvall, President of Djurens Rätt
Djurens Rätt has also reported that several mink farms did not comply with the restrictions during the pandemic. In neighbouring Denmark, mink farms are also permitted to resume operations in 2023 following a two-year closure. Almost all former Danish mink farmers have accepted the payout and invested in other businesses.
Public health risks
The transmission of disease between mink carries the risk of viral development that could make the disease even more dangerous for humans.
The European Citizens' Initiative Fur Free Europe calls for a ban on fur farming and the sale of farmed fur products throughout the European Union.
With more than 600 million confirmed cases and more than 6.5 million deaths, the COVID-19 pandemic has made the devastating costs of emerging infectious diseases starkly apparent. Approximately three quarters of emerging infectious diseases in humans are zoonotic.This report examines the role of fur animals in the pandemic. More on the topic of Environment and Conservation.
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