Denmark to end mink farming by 2029 in policy reversal

Government abandons bid for EU exemption, citing animal welfare

By LineZotpaper

Published23 October 2026

Read Time2 min

Denmark will end mink farming by August 2029 after the government abandoned its application for an exemption to a European Union-wide ban on keeping the animals, a decision the nature minister said prioritised animal welfare.

Denmark will end mink farming by August 2029 after the government abandoned its application for an exemption to a European Union-wide ban on keeping the animals.

The ban takes effect on 7 August next year, followed by a two-year transition period. Nature Minister Christian Rabjerg Madsen said the coalition government had chosen animal welfare. "A business should not continue just because it has existed for a long time. It should also make sense for society, for the economy and for the animals," he said.

Denmark was once the world's largest producer of mink fur, but the industry has declined amid global bans on fur farming, falling demand and the pandemic, when the government ordered a cull of around 15 million mink after a mutated Covid strain was found in the animals. The government later admitted it had no legal basis for that action. About 15,000 mink now remain on Denmark's seven mink farms.

Under the previous government, Denmark sought an exemption when the EU added mink to its list of invasive species in 2025. The current coalition, elected in June, decided on Friday not to proceed with that application. Social Democrat MP Brigitte Vind welcomed the move. "It is absolutely the right decision not to apply for a special scheme for mink breeding in Denmark," she said.

The cost of closing the farms has not yet been determined. A spokesperson for one of the governing coalition parties previously estimated around 14m Danish krone (£1.56m), local media report, but the final amount could be higher. The Danish Mink Association, which represents breeders, has been approached for comment.

Analysis

Why This Matters

The decision ends a once-dominant national industry and removes one of Europe's last mink fur producers.
It shows how EU invasive-species rules are reshaping national industries and forcing governments to manage transitions.
The phase-out and compensation costs will test how the government balances animal welfare with rural economic interests.

Background

Mink farming has declined across Europe over decades amid animal welfare campaigns, fur bans by fashion publications and brands, and falling demand. Denmark's 2020 mass cull during the pandemic was one of the largest actions of its kind, and the government later admitted it had no legal basis for the killing. The EU's 2025 listing of mink as an invasive species, restricting keeping them, set the legal context for the current ban.

Key Perspectives

The Danish government and animal welfare supporters: The coalition says a business should justify its existence on social, economic and animal welfare grounds, and ending the exemption aligns with EU rules. Mink breeders and the industry: The remaining seven farms face closure, and compensation costs are still undetermined. The Danish Mink Association, which represents breeders, has been approached for comment. Skeptics: The estimated cost of around 14m Danish krone may rise, and questions remain about how smoothly the two-year transition will proceed and who bears the economic loss.

What to Watch

Final compensation figures for the seven farms and the pace of their closure.
Whether the phase-out proceeds on schedule through the transition period to August 2029.
How the fur trade responds, given renewed fashion interest in vintage and faux fur.

Sources

Denmark to ban mink farming in government U-turn · BBC News

Checked

12 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 9 supported.

Show each claim

SupportedDenmark will end mink farming by 2029.BBC News: “Mink farming will end in Denmark by August 2029”
Partly supportedThe government abandoned its EU-exemption bid citing animal welfare.BBC News: “Danish Nature Minister Christian Rabjerg Madsen said the government had chosen animal welfare.”
SupportedThe government decided to drop plans to pursue an exemption to an EU-wide ban on mink farming.BBC News: “Mink farming will end in Denmark by August 2029 after the government decided to drop plans to pursue an exemption to an EU-wide ban on the practice.”
SupportedNature Minister Christian Rabjerg Madsen said, “A business should not continue just because it has existed for a long time. It should also make sense for society, for the economy and for the animals.”BBC News: “Danish Nature Minister Christian Rabjerg Madsen said the government had chosen animal welfare. “A business should not continue just because it has existed for a long time. It should also make sense for society, for the economy and for the animals,” he said.”
SupportedSocial Democrat MP Brigitte Vind said, “It is absolutely the right decision not to apply for a special scheme for mink breeding in Denmark.”BBC News: “Social Democrat MP Brigitte Vind said it was “a good day for animal welfare”. “It is absolutely the right decision not to apply for a special scheme for mink breeding in Denmark,” she said.”
SupportedThe ban takes effect on 7 August next year, followed by a two-year transition period.BBC News: “The ban is due to come into effect on 7 August next year, and is followed by a two-year transition period to phase out the practice.”
SupportedThe government ordered a cull of around 15 million mink after a mutated Covid strain was found in the animals.BBC News: “The industry faced a crisis during the coronavirus pandemic, when the government ordered a mass cull of mink after a mutated strain of Covid-19 was found in the animals. Approximately 15 million were killed.”
Partly supportedAbout 15,000 mink remain on Denmark’s seven mink farms.BBC News: “There are now approximately 15,000 mink left in Denmark. No costs have yet been determined for closing Denmark’s seven remaining mink farms”
Partly supportedThe mink industry declined amid global bans, falling demand and the pandemic.BBC News: “the industry has declined due to global bans on fur farming, a decline in the fur trade and an earlier outbreak of a Covid strain in the nation’s mink population.”
SupportedThe current coalition, elected in June, decided on Friday not to proceed with the exemption application.BBC News: “However, the current coalition government, elected in June, reversed this decision and decided not to proceed with the application on Friday.”
SupportedThe cost of closing the farms has not been determined, and a coalition-party spokesperson estimated it at around 14 million Danish krone (£1.56 million), though the final amount could be higher.BBC News: “No costs have yet been determined for closing Denmark’s seven remaining mink farms, but an animal welfare spokesperson for one of the governing coalition parties previously estimated it would be around 14m Danish krone (£1.56m), local media report, but the final amount could be higher.”
SupportedThe government later admitted it had no legal basis for the cull.BBC News: “The government later admitted it had no legal basis for the culling.”