This year, the world has come face to face with the consequences of how we treat animals and our environment. Coronavirus is a zoonotic disease, meaning that it spreads between humans and animals, and likely originated from a wet market.
As humans continue to encroach on animal habitats, consume animals, and keep the animals that they sell or raise for consumption in tiny, unsanitary cages, the risk of zoonotic disease spread increases. However, this risky contact with animals is not limited to wet markets.
Fur farms around the world have made headlines as workers and animals have contracted the virus. Mink on a fur farm in Wisconsin have just tested positive for the coronavirus. A few months ago, mink in Utah also tested positive.
In European countries, such as the Netherlands and Spain, millions of mink have been killed after contracting the virus. Recently, Denmark has also decided to cull 15 million mink “due to fears that a Covid-19 mutation moving from mink to humans could jeopardise future vaccines.”
Sadly, for the sake of public health, culling these mink seems like the only option. However, it needs to be accompanied by an end to the mink fur farming industry. Exploiting animals and keeping them in cramped, unsanitary conditions caused this whole issue. It’s completely irresponsible to kill all these mink now and then start fur farming again in the future.
After undercover footage from the largest farm in Poland was released to the public, Poland is in the process of banning fur farming.
Similarly, in response to the coronavirus outbreaks in mink farms, the Netherlands is moving up its mink fur farming ban from 2024 to 2021.
Denmark needs to follow their lead and put an end to fur farming! Not only is it extremely cruel, but it also poses a serious public health risk.
Sign this petition to demand an end to mink fur farming!
This article was first published by OneGreenPlanet on 12 November 2020. Lead Image Source : Kozlik/Shutterstock.
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