Vancouver –
British Columbia is starting a course of to section out the farming of mink within the province, Minister of Agriculture Lana Popham introduced Friday.
The method, which is being carried out due to considerations over COVID-19, is anticipated to be accomplished by April 2025, Popham mentioned.
Mink on three totally different B.C. farms have examined constructive for the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 since final November, and teams together with the BC SPCA, the Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs, and greater than two dozen infectious illness specialists have known as for the tip of mink farming within the province.
Denmark ordered the slaughter of hundreds of thousands of mink in November 2020 over considerations that the coronavirus might mutate within the animals and be handed again to people.
Popham promised that B.C. would supply assist to mink farmers and their employees as they wind down their operations.
“We all know that it’s in the most effective curiosity of public well being that this resolution is made,” Popham mentioned. “Our authorities will work with affected farmers and employees to assist them pursue different farming companies or job alternatives that assist their households.”
These affected by the phase-out will even be eligible for present authorities advantages applications, the minister mentioned.
There are at present 9 mink farms working in B.C. They make use of roughly 150 individuals.
The province plans to implement a everlasting ban on breeding mink, with a ban on housing reside mink on the present farms by April 2023 and the tip of all mink farm operations, with all remaining pelts offered, by April 2025.
Provincial well being officer Dr. Bonnie Henry mentioned after B.C.’s first two mink farm outbreaks, officers believed the COVID-19 threat posed by the business was low.
“(We thought) we’d possible be coping with one-to-two outbreaks per yr within the small variety of farms that now we have right here in British Columbia,” Henry mentioned.
“Since that point, nonetheless, now we have had one other outbreak on an extra farm that has not been capable of be cleared, regardless of elevated biosecurity measures, ongoing testing, vaccination of employees and the various, many alternative measures that we have put in place.”
Henry mentioned there’s ongoing transmission of COVID-19 between people and mink on one farm within the province, and three farms are on quarantine orders.
“Mink farming continues to be a well being hazard, for my part and the opinion of my public well being colleagues,” she mentioned. “We do not see that evaluation altering within the quick time period.”
Along with considerations about mink being a doable supply of latest, more-virulent or vaccine-resistant variants of the coronavirus, Henry additionally famous the likelihood that escaped mink might transmit the virus to wild animals, which might additionally pose a threat to public well being.
Mink breeders are slamming the province’s resolution, calling it radical and pointless.
“We’ve had lower than 5 per cent of our Canadian (mink fur) farms grow to be constructive with COVID-19. I feel that’s commendable,” mentioned Matt Moses, a Nova Scotia mink farmer and former president of the Canada Mink Breeders Affiliation.
Moses believes the transfer to close down mink fur farms is politically pushed.
“This life-changing resolution for our B.C. producers was based mostly on strain from activist teams and vocal minority teams,” he mentioned. “It’s not based mostly on science, analysis, or information.”
The agriculture minister denies the choice is something however an effort to curb the unfold of COVID-19.
“As we’ve labored by way of this resolution and brought the recommendation of public well being officers, I can guarantee you this (resolution) was based mostly on public well being,” Popham mentioned.
Notably, the BC SPCA additionally criticized the province’s rationale for ending mink farming.
“I feel it is an fascinating option to ignore the animal welfare points,” mentioned Marcie Moriarty, the BC SPCA’s chief prevention and enforcement officer.
Moriarty added that her group is happy with the province’s resolution.
Henry mentioned the multi-year timeframe for the phase-out is meant to present mink farm operators ample time to get the most effective worth for his or her remaining inventory.
Whereas reside mink shall be allowed to be stored on the farms till early 2023, she mentioned she anticipates that there shall be a “a lot lowered” quantity after the present pelting season. The province believes it could handle any security threat posed by the remaining mink populations over the subsequent yr and a half, Henry mentioned.
