Denmark: Minister Mogens Jensen resigns over mass mink slaughter



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Danish Food Minister Mogens Jensen has resigned in connection with the deaths of millions of minks in the country. Jensen wrote on Facebook on Wednesday that he had concluded that he no longer had sufficient support from the majority of Danish parliamentary parties. That is why he told Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen to resign from the government.

Frederiksen announced on November 4 that all minks in the country should be euthanized because the coronavirus had mutated in animals and had already spread to humans. In particular, the so-called group 5 variant of the virus was classified as worrisome by the Danish institute of health SSI because, according to the institute, it could have a possible impact on future corona vaccines. There are about 15 to 17 million animals in total.

As it turned out, the necessary legal basis for the mass slaughter was lacking. Minister Jensen only admitted this several days after the announcement of the measure. Meanwhile, the government has secured a parliamentary majority for a legal framework that will legally guarantee fast-paced and ban mink keeping in Denmark by the end of 2021.

All the fur animals from mink farms infected with the coronavirus in Denmark have already been killed. Food authority Fødevarestyrelsen announced Wednesday on Twitter. In total, mink stocks were culled on 284 farms where corona cases had emerged. That corresponds to about one in four mink farms in Denmark. Another 25 farms are also under suspicion of corona. The exact number of animals euthanized was unclear from information provided by authorities.

Icon: The mirror

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