The breeding of American mink for fur and fashion products, and concerns about animal welfare, have been highlighted as a real risk to nature and human health. A conservation NGO is leading a campaign that calls for a ban on fur farming, arguing that animal exploitation should not persist into our era and must be stopped.
The NGO hopes that Spain will follow the example of nations like the Netherlands, which have already decided to close all mink farms. Spain, however, still hosts 32 farms. Many of these animals are kept in small cages to be slaughtered for their skins at a young age.
According to the NGO, overcrowded conditions and confinement in cages elevate health risks and starkly contrast with the native wildlife conditions of the American mink, a species that is solitary and territorial by nature, and accustomed to swimming and diving in rivers or wetlands.
For this reason, there are many reasons to push for the closure of American mink farms in Spain, the organization notes. It also highlights the danger posed by these facilities: the constant movement of these animals poses a threat to native fauna.
The release of a European mink into the Najerilla river in La Rioja last September is cited as context for concern about ecosystem balance. The article notes that environmental groups view American mink as an invasive predator and an aggressive carnivore that preys on ground-nesting birds, protected amphibians, fish, and even mammals such as the endangered Pyrenean desman.
Moreover, the European mink has been driven to the brink of extinction, an indigenous species that has been displaced and now remains among the most threatened carnivores in Europe, with fewer than 500 specimens remaining in Spain.
Potential contaminants of viruses to humans
The European mink has retreated from 90 percent of its original range due to the advance of the American mink from fur farms. Large amounts of public funding are directed at Spain each year to control mink populations at these facilities, according to the NGO.
American mink fur farms have already been banned and permanently closed in several European countries such as the United Kingdom, Croatia, Austria, Switzerland, and the Netherlands, as well as in non-European nations such as Japan.
In Spain, authorities have allowed this activity to continue, with central and regional governments maintaining what the NGO calls lax legislation adapted to these businesses. Consequently, many foreign fur companies have established operations in the country and show plans for further growth, the NGO condemns.
Because of the poor conditions in cages, the American mink can harbor viruses such as covid-19 or avian influenza A and transmit them to humans. This could become a greater source of epidemics than any exposure to date, warns the NGO.
Neither nature nor public health can wait any longer. Maintaining American mink farms is seen as perpetuating brutal exploitation that endangers ecosystems and health.
The release of a European mink in the Najerilla river in La Rioja last September is noted again in the official materials as evidence of environmental concern.
For these reasons, the NGO calls for the immediate and definitive closure of all existing American mink farms in Spain, with all necessary health and animal welfare guarantees. It also urges urgent changes to current regulations so that this activity is strictly prohibited on Spanish territory and existing farms are shut down.
Threats to biodiversity
American mink (Neovison vison) is a small to medium-sized carnivore native to North America, part of the mustelid family alongside the European mink, otter, marten, and weasel. It is semi-aquatic, relying on rivers and wetlands but adaptable to other aquatic habitats such as lakes and coastlines.
The species has a highly invasive character, acting as an opportunistic predator with a high reproductive rate and strong dispersal capacity. Its offspring can travel tens of kilometers from their home region, allowing rapid expansion and colonization.
Although its original distribution covered much of Alaska, Canada, and the United States, it now exists on three continents outside its native range and is present in 25 European countries.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) lists the American mink as one of the most dangerous invasive species for biodiversity. The first American mink populations in Spain formed in the 1980s and have expanded in the last decade, with significant growth across much of the country.
In 2013, the American mink appeared in the Spanish Invasive Alien Species Catalogue. Gaps in environmental regulation have not stopped new farm projects or expansion, especially in regions like Galicia. The effect is felt across Europe where bans have appeared in various jurisdictions.
Urban areas and countryside alike face pressure as mink farms push into new zones, complicating conservation efforts and biodiversity protection.
© Environmental and conservation voices emphasize that the struggle is about balancing industry, animal welfare, and ecological integrity. The push for policy reform centers on safeguarding wildlife and reducing health risks associated with fur farming.