Denmark drops exemption for mink farms: mink farming to be banned from 2029

The Danish government has decided not to seek an exemption from the Europe-wide ban on keeping mink as an invasive species. Mink farming in the country will end by August 2029: the ban takes effect on 7 August 2027, followed by a two-year transition period. Denmark was once the world's largest producer of mink fur, but the industry has declined.

Javlon TursunovFirst published on tafs uz 23 October 2026 at 17:562 min read

The key facts

Denmark will not apply for an exemption from the EU ban on keeping mink; the industry will close by August 2029
The ban takes effect on 7 August 2027, followed by a two-year transition period
About 15,000 mink and seven farms remain in the country; the cost of closure is estimated at roughly 14 million Danish kroner

Government abandons exemption application

Mink farming in Denmark will end by August 2029: the government has decided not to seek an exemption from the Europe-wide ban. In 2025, the EU added the mink to its list of invasive species, banning its keeping, and Danish authorities initially planned to apply for an exemption for their industry. However, the governing coalition elected in June 2026 reversed that decision on Friday and abandoned the application. The ban will take effect on 7 August next year, followed by a two-year transition period to wind down the practice.

Position of the authorities and parliamentarians

Denmark's nature minister, Kristian Raerg Madsen, said the government had chosen animal welfare. 'A business should not continue just because it has existed for a long time. It must also make sense for society, for the economy and for the animals,' he said. Social Democrat MP Birgitte Wind called the decision 'a good day for animal welfare' and noted that not applying for a special regime for mink farming in Denmark was 'absolutely the right decision'. The Danish Mink Breeders Association, which represents farmers, was approached for comment.

Industry decline after the pandemic

Denmark was once the world's largest producer of mink fur, but the industry shrank due to global bans on fur farming, a downturn in the fur trade and an outbreak of a mutated Covid-19 strain among mink. During the pandemic, the government ordered a mass cull — around 15 million animals were killed; the authorities later admitted they had no legal basis for this. At the time, the country had major export markets in China and Hong Kong. In recent years, Danish production has fallen behind other countries such as Poland and China. About 15,000 mink remain in the country.

Costs of closing farms and the fashion context

The cost of closing Denmark's seven remaining mink farms is not yet determined. According to local media, the governing coalition's spokesperson on animal welfare previously estimated it at around 14 million Danish kroner (about £1.56 million), but the final figure may be higher. Wearing fur remains a contentious issue in the fashion world: a number of publications and brands refused to use or promote fur several years ago. However, last year the topic returned to the agenda — celebrities and fashionistas wore both vintage fur and so-called eco-fur.