Only 4 Dutch fur farms still operational

Only four fur farms in the Netherlands are still operational. All the others closed over the past weeks due to the upcoming ban on fur farming, Minister Carola Schouten of Agriculture told the Tweede Kamer, the lower house of Dutch parliament, NOS reports.

Due to continuous coronavirus outbreaks on mink farms, the government decided to move up a ban on fur farming in the country. Originally, fur farming would have been banned from 2024. That was moved up to the spring of next year, to give fur farmers a chance to end the current breeding season.

A number of opposition parties felt that this was still taking too great a risk and called for the animals on the remaining fur farms to be culled as quickly as possible, as happened with the farms on which the coronavirus was diagnosed. But Schouten told the Kamer that this is not necessary, because there are hardly any fur farms left. 

The companies closed even faster than the government expected. And the four that are still operational are expected to finish their operations in the coming week. 

According to Schouten, the farmers did not hold back any animals for further breeding. That would be pointless, as they will no longer be allowed to breed mink for fur from next year. The fur farmers will still get a bridging allowance until 2024, to give them space to orient themselves for a new profession. 

Before the ban on fur farming was moved up, the Netherlands counted around 140 mink farms.