Denmark will again allow mink farming when its temporary ban expires next year.
The food minister, Rasmus Prehn, has explained that the government is following the advice of the health authorities.
On Friday afternoon, he will hold a meeting with the mink industry to discuss all matters relating to the return.
However, some farmers have already been consulted. “We have had meetings with the mink sector about our expectations and I am looking forward to reviewing the model with the sector,” confirmed Prehn.
Life after Minkgate
The government banned mink funding following a cull of 17 million of the animals in November 2020 in a bid to stop a corona mutation detected at the farms.
It later turned out the order was illegal, and the then food minister, Mogens Jensen, eventually resigned as a result.
An investigation into what became known as Minkgate found that the PM most probably did not know the order was illegal until she was informed days later. It was unable to check her phone messages because they were all deleted. Certainly, the affair dented her popularity.
The return of mink farming will be accompanied by new measures to prevent infection in mink herds in the interest of public health.
