Why does Denmark have mink farms – exist any in the UK?

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    a mink farm in denmark

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    How are mink farms connected to coronavirus? (Picture: Mads Claus Rasmussen/Ritzau Scanpix/AFP by means of Getty)

    Up to 17 million mink are to be culled in Denmark to stop them spreading Covid-19 to humans, while a new travel ban to the UK has been issued with immediate affect.

    The news comes after a government report revealed 12 people in the country got infected by a mutated strain of the virus, currently spreading through Denmark’s mink farms.

    Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said the situation is ‘very, very serious.’

    ‘The mutated virus in mink can have devastating consequences worldwide,’ she continued, adding the outbreak could harm the ‘effectiveness’ of any vaccine.

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    Why does Denmark have mink farms and should we be worried about the mutated virus?

    Why are minks farmed in Denmark?

    The minks are farmed for their fur, which is then used for various purposes, including coats, clothing and fashion accessories.

    Denmark is one of the world’s main mink fur exporters and it is estimated the country produces 17 million furs a year.

    a mink farm in denmark

    Even minks without coronavirus must be culled (Picture: Ole Jensen/Getty Images)

    According to BBC, more than 50 million mink a year are bred for their fur, mainly in China, Denmark, the Netherlands and Poland.

    Animal welfare group Humane Society International applauded the Danish PM for taking ‘such an essential and science-based step to protect Danish citizens’ and said it hoped that losing so many mink to the coronavirus causes fur farms to get out of the business.

    ‘Although the death of millions of mink, whether culled for Covid-19 or killed for fur, is an animal welfare tragedy, fur farmers will now have a clear opportunity to pivot away from this cruel and dying industry and choose a more humane and sustainable livelihood instead,’ Humane Society International-Europe spokesman Joanna Swabe said.

    Are there mink farms in the UK?

    There are no mink farms in the UK – fur farming was made illegal in the UK in 2000.

    Under UK law, minks, as well as foxes and moles, are protected under the Animal Welfare Act 2006, which means that people can be jailed and fined up to £20,000 for ‘causing unnecessary suffering’ to them.

    However, it is permitted to kill them in a humane way if required – there is more information on this on gov.uk.

    Minks are generally considered a pest species, as they can damage to other wildlife, property and the local ecosystem.

    However, it is unlikely any UK minks would carry coronavirus – the current concern is that the species in Denmark have spread the virus to humans, who might then pass it on.

    Is fur farming legal in the EU?

    It’s illegal to trade any animal fur in the UK – but this is not the case across all European countries.

    Under the current regulations, it’s illegal to trade in cat, dog or seal but but the fur of other animals such as foxes, minks and coyotes is still allowed, according to PETA UK.

    Many other EU countries have banned fur farming however, such as Luxembourg, the Czech Republic, Macedonia and Slovenia.

    Scores of other countries – such as Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Belgium and Slovakia – have bans coming into effect in the coming years, and are all currently in transition periods.

    Luxury fur coats hanging on rack, various colors of mink, fox and sheep fur for sale at the market

    Luxury fur coats hanging on rack, various colors of mink, fox and sheep fur for sale at the market

    Can you travel to Denmark from the UK?

    All travel to Denmark is now banned – from 4am this morning, November 7, visitors from the country will be denied entry to the UK.

    The decision was made hastily in response to the ‘widespread outbreaks’ in Denmark’s mink farms.

    Anyone who has been in the country in the last 14 days must self-isolate, with official advice stating that anyone who has returned from Denmark within the last two weeks will be contacted to ensure they complete the self-isolation needed to ensure the virus does not spread across the UK.

    It is not yet known when these restrictions will be reviewed.

    Visitors from Denmark cannot currently enter the UK (Picture: Getty)

    Will the Covid outbreak in minks impact the effectiveness of a vaccine?

    The precise risk is not yet clear – but it’s wise to exercise caution.

    The virus mutated because it was passed on from humans to minks, and then back to humans again, thus picking up some genetic changes on the way.

    These mutations – which have now infected at least 12 people – reportedly involve the spike protein of the virus, which has been targeted by some vaccines currently being developed.

    The full picture is not entirely clear, however, as not all vaccine developers are targeting the affected protein.


    MORE :
    Denmark to cull 17,000,000 mink to stop Covid spreading to humans

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