Historic decision! Holland says enough to mink farms for fur (3 years in advance)

Dutch Parliament voted in favor of a law to close all mink farms by 2020, 3 years early

He is about to end up run over, his mother saves him

No to the killing of mink. Holland has taken a decision that is as unexpected as it is beautiful, which could end the mink fur industry. The country, the third largest producer in the world, was supposed to have stopped the killings in 2024, but the coronavirus has brought the times forward by 3 years.

In recent days, parliamentarians have voted to shut down mink farms early, after the coronavirus hit dozens of companies. Now only the vote of the Chamber is expected so that the provision can definitively become law.

Unfortunately, over 600.000 animals have been killed since the first focolario was discovered on two farms in the Brabant area. It was the end of April when the first cases were identified on the farms.

Minks on Dutch farms are positive for coronavirus

But in recent days, MPs have voted in favor of a motion drafted by Esther Ouwehand, of the animal rights party, putting an end to mink farming and ensuring that companies that have been literally emptied of animals due to Covid-19 do not refill the cages again.

"This is a huge step forward: the slaughter of animals for their fur in the Netherlands is finally about to end," said the president of the animal rights party, Esther Ouwehand. “In addition to being morally reprehensible, mink farming is now simply unsustainable because it poses a threat to public health. Stopping it now and not in 2024 will save millions of minks from a miserable life ”.

The country is home to around 200 farms, managed by 165 companies. It is no coincidence that it is the third largest supplier of mink in the world with 90 thousand furs exported every year after Denmark and China. As early as 2013, parliamentarians had agreed to phase out the industry by the end of 2023 but the coronavirus has accelerated the times as the infection was also spreading to farms.

In June, unfortunately, tens of thousands of minks were brutally killed with gas for fear of a further spread of the coronavirus. The appeals presented by various animal welfare associations were of little use.

Coronavirus: 10 thousand minks killed by gas in Dutch farms for fear of contagion

A spokeswoman for Agriculture Minister Carola Schouten told DutchNews that the government is working on a series of interventions to help farmers stop operations as soon as possible.

Unfortunately, despite the decision of Parliament, the timing is not yet known and the vote of the Chamber is also awaited before the decision can become final. MEPs have not yet provided the closing date or compensation for farmers, but associations estimate that all farms will be closed by the end of the year.

For Peta this is a historic decision:

“We welcome the fact that the Dutch government has made the ethical choice to end fur farming in the Netherlands. With this ban, the minks were spared another four years of torment, often driving these poor animals mad for their captivity before horribly killing them, including by gasification or electrocution. We are putting pressure on other countries to ban this despicable industry, follow the example of the Netherlands and close cruel fur farms or risk becoming the source of the next pandemic. "

The conditions to put an end to this massacre are all there, we hope that the farms can close their doors as soon as possible.

Sources of reference: Dutch News, Novethic, Peta