Mink farms told that animals will be culled to prevent possible Covid spread

MINK farm owners in Ireland, including one in Donegal, have been told that their mink will be culled over concerns about a Covid-19 variant discovered abroad.

The Chief Medical Officer, Dr Tony Holohan, wrote to the Minister for Agriculture, Donegal-based TD Charlie McConalogue, recommending a cull of Ireland’s mink.

There are three mink farms in Ireland, including the Tazetta fur farm outside Glenties. The others are located in Kerry and Laois.

While mink owners are expected to be compensated in the short-term, they will be unable to replace the animals.

This move comes after a variant of Covid-19 was discovered in Danish mink farms.

Testing got underway at the three Irish mink farms recently. No mink have been imported to Ireland in 2020.

Denmark launched a widespread cull of its mink after humans became infected with the strain detected in the animals.