D66 questions contamination of mink farms

“I just notice”, says D66 Member of Parliament De Groot. “In spite of all the measures taken, the last few months things have suddenly gone very quickly with the infections. Do the breeders keep to the rules? Aren’t the measures sufficient?”

At the end of May a transport ban was imposed on minks and mink dung, visitors are no longer allowed in the stables and mink keepers must ensure that pets, such as cats and dogs, cannot walk from the stables to inhabited areas. Strict hygiene measures also apply to the employees.

Spacious allowance

But in the meantime corona infections have been found on 41 of the 120 breeding farms, which also pose a danger to public health.

The government has announced that all mink farms will be culled preventively if the number of infections increases. This also includes a financial arrangement for the entrepreneurs affected by this.

Differing opinions

D66 is “fundamentally against” if mink breeders would be “better served” than other entrepreneurs suffering from the corona- pandemic. “I don’t know why we should treat the mink farms differently,” says De Groot.

Schouten was supposed to come with a decision about the ‘stoppers regulation’ at the beginning of this week, but that was postponed. It has been established that mink breeding will no longer be allowed by law from 2024 onwards. In connection with this ban, the breeders have already been promised financial compensation.