“Mink Farms are Inhumane, Unsafe and Unnecessary”
Legislation Would End Inhumane Mink Farming and Prevent Emerging Disease Threats from Spreading
WASHINGTON — Today, Congressman Vern Buchanan, Co-Chair of the Animal Protection Caucus, and Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) introduced the MINKS are Superspreaders Act, a bipartisan bill to prohibit the breeding, sale, transport or possession of mink raised in captivity for fur production in the United States.
“Mink farms are inhumane, unsafe and unnecessary,” said Buchanan. “These operations fueled dangerous disease transmission during the COVID-19 pandemic and continue to pose a major risk to families and frontline workers. With safer and more affordable alternatives available, it’s time to end this abusive practice, protect Americans’ health and help farmers transition responsibly.”
"Factory farming of mink is outdated and dangerous,” said Congresswoman DeLauro. "Mink operations can incubate and spread new disease variants, and unsanitary and overcrowded cages create a perfect storm for public health threats. At the same time, with virtually no domestic market, the U.S. mink industry has been in steady decline for years. Now is the time to prioritize public health and for this legislation to become law. I am urging all of my colleagues to support this bipartisan legislation."
The bill would phase out mink farming nationwide by prohibiting the transport, sale, breeding and possession of captive mink for pelt production and authorizes a voluntary federal buy-out program to assist remaining farmers in transitioning out of the industry.
Minks possess exceptionally weak immune systems and are highly susceptible to diseases that can spread to humans. During the COVID-19 pandemic, mink farms around the world experienced outbreaks and drove dangerous mutations of the virus. More recently, mink have demonstrated susceptibility to highly pathogenic avian influenza (H5N1), raising new concerns among animal health and infectious disease experts.
The legislation is supported by Animal Wellness Action and the Center for a Humane Economy.
“There is a very good reason that mink farming has been in decline for decades: consumers are embracing fashion choices that do not involve factory farming of wild animals and killing them for them pelts,” said Wayne Pacelle, President of Animal Wellness Action and the Center for a Humane Economy. “Add in that mink farms are incubators of dangerous diseases, and it makes very good sense for Congressman Rep. Buchanan again to lead a legislative effort to wind down an animal-killing enterprise that has outlived its usefulness.”
Buchanan is a leading advocate for protecting endangered species and ending animal cruelty, introducing and co-sponsoring dozens of important animal measures. Recently, Buchanan introduced the Save America’s Forgotten Equines (SAFE) Act to ban the inhumane slaughter of horses. He is also a two-time recipient of the Humane Society’s “Legislator of the Year” award, winning the award in 2015 and 2020.
