Legislation under debate in the Oregon Senate would phase out mink farming in the state by the end of 2021. State Senator Floyd Prozanski said his legislation, Senate Bill 832, follows similar actions taken by Ireland and the Netherlands to permanently close all mink farms and discontinue mink-breeding programs in order to protect public health against the spread of COVID-19 and other diseases. The legislation, which is supported by Animal Wellness Action and the Center for Biological Diversity, includes programs to assist Oregon mink producers’ transition to other lines of work.

“We know that mink farms, including those right here in Oregon, have the potential to enable dangerous mutations of the coronavirus that could pose a serious threat to our fight against the disease,” said Prozanski, a Eugene Democrat. “SB 832 will eliminate that threat by bringing about an end to the already-dwindling mink farm industry while assisting current Oregon mink producers in transitioning to new fields.

According to the Oregon Department of Agriculture, there are 11 state-permitted mink farms in the state, but only seven are still actively producing mink. If SB 832 is adopted, Oregon would be the first state in the country to adopt a prohibition on mink farming.

Most of the 2.7 million U.S.-produced mink pelts sold in 2019 went to China; fur markets in the West have collapsed because of consumer concerns about animal welfare.

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