Fur industry faces uncertain future due to Covid - BBC News

Nov 23, 2020

Europe's fur industry is back in the spotlight after Denmark's mass culling of millions of mink following an outbreak of coronavirus at farms in the country.

Denmark is the world's biggest mink producer, farming up to 17 million of the animals, and Covid has swept through a quarter of its 1,000 mink farms.

"It is a de facto permanent closure and liquidation of the fur industry," said Danish Mink Breeders Association chairman Tage Pedersen in a statement.

In 2013, Kopenhagen Fur sold about $2bn (£1.5bn) of furs, with global mink production worth $4.3bn.

Else Skjold, head of fashion at the Royal Danish Academy, says this competition has driven prices down: "A lot of new farmers went into the market and so there was simply an overflow of fur.".

In 2018 there were 4,350 fur farms in 24 European countries, says industry group Fur Europe.

Poland, the Netherlands, Finland, Lithuania and Greece are the biggest producers after Denmark - though the US, Canada and Russia also operate farms.

"People were concerned that there might be a shortage," says Mark Oaten, chief executive of the International Fur Federation (IFF).

Denmark accounts for at least a quarter of the global mink trade.

Ms Skjold thinks foreign competitors will fill the gap: "They will invest hugely in expanding mink farming in China, I suspect.".

Although fur farming is controversial, she believes standards on Danish farms are high and one consequence of Denmark's exit is a risk that animal welfare could get worse.

"We will see farming in less regulated and less controlled countries," she says.

"Fur farms are not only the cause of immense and unnecessary animal suffering, they are also ticking time bombs for deadly diseases," says Dr Joanna Swabe from the Humane Society International.

The IFF's Mark Oaten says Asia now accounts for 35-40% of fur sales, with South Korea another key market.

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