The Nova Scotia government is paying for mink vaccines and is giving hundreds of thousands of dollars to the province’s mink industry, according to a news article from the Canadian Press.
54,000 doses of mink vaccines are being given to mink farms in the province. The costs of the vaccines are being shared by the Nova Scotia government and the federal government, although the full cost is not disclosed. The article also reports that Nova Scotia has offered funding to 24 mink farms to “strengthen the industry’s market position”. So far, nearly $780,000 has been given to the mink industry this year.
Earlier this summer, Saltwire reported that the mink farm industry in Nova Scotia was struggling, and the industry was accessing government supports. To support the industry, the government also planned international trade missions to find new markets for its fur.
“Agriculture Minister Keith Colwell said in an interview this week that the province is planning a trade mission to Asia to allow mink farmers to strike up deals with buyers in China, Japan, South Korea and Vietnam, all big markets for the fur industry,” the SaltWire article noted.
The Nova Scotia government and the mink industry need to read the writing on the wall: there is no future in fur. It is unconscionable that governments continue to use public funds to bolster an industry that is a proven health hazard, is cruel to animals, and has no economic viability. Statistics Canada data shows that sales of fur in Nova Scotia have been in steep decline for years, with the province’s mink and fox farms bringing in less than $20 million in 2019.
The Nova Scotia government needs to follow the example set by British Columbia and support fur farmers and workers to transition into sustainable and ethical industries. Throwing more public money into mink farms will not save a dying industry. It’s time to move into the 21st century and end fur farming.
