Netherlands’ Senate Voted to Ban Fur Farming by 2024

With 6 million minks killed each year, the Netherlands is the world’s third largest producer of mink pelts, after Denmark and China. The political discussion about a ban on mink fur farming began in 1999. A bill to ban it by 2018 was accepted by the House of Representatives but did not get a majority in the Senate. The main argument against the ban was the financial problems it would cause to farmers. Therefore the original bill was changed to go into force in 2024 and provides financial compensation for the demolition costs of 28 million euro for farmers. An inquiry by the Ministry of Agriculture showed earlier this year that only 7% of the Dutch approved of killing animals only for their fur. In 1995 and 1998 respectively bans were announced on fox and chinchilla fur farming, which both came into force on 1 April 2008. The ban on mink fur farming will end all fur farming in the Netherlands.  In 2011, nine million minks were killed in Holland. Today the Netherlands is now following the example of other countries such as Austria, United Kingdom, and Croatia. There is no reason for other countries to continue with this form of animal cruelty.