Fur Real: Did the COVID-19 Pandemic Signal the End of the Mink Farm?

Detection of the SARS-Cov-2 virus (which causes COVID-19) in European mink farms led to mass cullings of mink and fur bans in Israel, Europe, and some U.S. cities. U.S. mink pelt trade and production were already in decline pre-pandemic, while global exports of fur goods were increasing steadily. A growing list of production and sales bans alongside steady demand for fur goods (of which mink is the primary fur material) in Asian markets leave the direction of the global industry uncertain.