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Fur animals

About minks

Minks have excellent climbing and swimming skills. There is a lot of playfulness in them. Minks are intelligent and curious. Like cats, minks purr when they feel comfortable. It is natural for minks to swim in water. They even have webbed toes for swimming! Research shows that when they do not have access to water to play in, it causes stress comparable to when they are denied food.

Minks in the fur industry

Minks are raised for their fur in nine farms here in Iceland. The industry has been operated at a loss for years but has received government subsidies; for example, the industry was subsidized with about 160 million ISK from public funds during 2020-2021.

Minks are kept in wire cages measuring 30x70 cm. The euthanasia process takes place in airtight boxes into which they are crammed, and gas is pumped in. It takes up to 60 seconds for the pups to lose consciousness, and they die after five minutes when the carbon monoxide levels have depleted the oxygen from their hearts and brains. These initial 60 seconds are extremely painful for the pups, as the gas causes burns and asphyxiation.

Fur farming is contrary to all considerations of animal welfare, requires taxpayer money to stay afloat, is questionable from an environmental protection perspective, and has no significance for settlement policies or agriculture.

Fur farming is declining. Austria, Belgium, Bosnia, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Estonia, France, Italy, Ireland, Latvia, Luxembourg, Malta, Norway, the Netherlands, North Macedonia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, the UK, Switzerland, and Germany have banned fur farming. Bulgaria has imposed a ban on mink farming that is subject to court disputes. Denmark has set such strict conditions that it is not feasible to restart fur farming after the COVID pandemic.

It is clear where this is heading. Governments in each country are banning fur farming for two reasons: the industry does not comply with animal welfare laws and principles, and the operation is so uncertain that public funds are needed to cover ongoing losses in the industry.

AWI's position

We want fur farming to be discontinued.
Mink farming in Iceland conflicts with animal welfare and cannot survive without public financial support. Therefore, it is inevitable that the government will announce a plan to phase out mink farming in Iceland.

Iceland would then follow the example of 22 European countries that have banned fur farming, as it does not comply with animal welfare laws.

What have we done?

In March 2023, AWI organized "Mink March," a campaign/awareness-raising effort about minks and their treatment in the fur industry in Iceland. The campaign consisted of educational advertisements on social media, articles, radio interviews, and a petition calling for a ban on fur farming.

What can you do?

There’s quite a lot you can do to help the minks!

Sign the petition!

Stop buying clothing made with real fur

Urge parliament members and ministers to act on this issue

Encourage Cintamani to stop making clothing with fur

Share educational materials to raise awareness and encourage discussion

Email the Minister of Food Safety at svandiss@althingi.is

Contact the Ministry of Food Safety at mar@mar.is

Here are the email addresses and phone numbers of parliament members!

Email Cintamani at sala@cintamani.is

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