A Dutch judge, seized by animal defenders, ordered this Thursday evening a postponement of the slaughter of more than 10,000 farm mink potentially infected with the coronavirus, which was to begin this Friday. The Dutch authorities had ordered the slaughter because cases of Covid-19 have been reported in small mammals from this farm, which "probably" transmitted the disease to two employees.
But a judge of a specialized economic court decided to postpone until a hearing on Monday, during which two animal rights groups will be heard. The cleaning of these farms, which affects seven companies spread over nine sites in the south of the Netherlands, aims to prevent them from becoming sources of contamination, Agriculture Minister Carola Schouten and the Minister explained on Wednesday of Public Health Hugo de Jonge, following an opinion from the health authorities.
A "difficult" measure
"The opinion shows that the virus can continue to circulate in mink farms for a long time and can therefore pose a risk to public and animal health," the ministers wrote in a letter to Parliament. The ministers spoke of a "difficult" measure for affected farmers, who will be entitled to financial compensation. The Animal Welfare Committee will ensure that mink are slaughtered "responsibly," they said.
Authorities reported in May two plausible cases of Dutch mink contamination, which according to the World Health Organization (WHO) could be the "first known cases of transmission" of the new coronavirus from animals to animals. 'man. The government has therefore banned the transportation of these animals and made Covid-19 testing mandatory in all mink farms across the country.
Mink farming for the marketing of their fur is very controversial in the Netherlands. In 2016, the country's highest court ordered the closure of farms by 2024.
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- World
- Netherlands
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- Animals