The 2020 Danish mink cull was the government-mandated slaughter of all roughly 17 million mink that were being raised on farms for their fur in Denmark. The cull started in September in response to the detection of Cluster 5, an outbreak of a novel variant of SARS-CoV-2, in the mink during the COVID-19 pandemic in Denmark. The cluster led to concerns that the potential of spillover to humans could reduce the efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines. The cull was made nation-wide on 4 November 2020; however, two days later the government announced that the extension of the cull orders had been given without legal authority, causing a political scandal, also known as the "Mink Case". Around 150,000 mink were culled without authority before the problem was identified.
Statens Serum Institut's old building on Amager Boulevard.
Minister of food of Mogens Jensen who resigned from office after having misinformed the Folketing and the public.
Radikale Venstre leader Sofie Carsten Nielsen who demanded a general election. Here seen at the Folkemøde on Bornholm in June 2022.
Frederiksen apologized for the process while throughout the case maintaining that it was well-justified in terms of health to cull all mink. She said that she would have done the same again. This largely was with reference to "public health" (folkesundheden).
Mink are dark-colored, semiaquatic, carnivorous mammals of the genera Neogale and Mustela and part of the family Mustelidae, which also includes weasels, otters, and ferrets. There are two extant species referred to as "mink": the American mink and the European mink. The extinct sea mink was related to the American mink but was much larger.
Mink
European mink (Mustela lutreola)
Mink fur stole
Mink eating a crayfish
