Photo by We Animals
By Jeffrey Phillips
This month marked an important milestone in the global movement to end fur farming. On March 18, 2025, the Mink VIRUS Act (H.R. 2185) was reintroduced in the United States by Democratic Congressman Adriano Espaillat. This bill would prohibit mink farming in the United States to protect public health and address risks associated with the spread of zoonotic diseases.
Beyond prohibiting fur farming, the bill proposes a one-year transition period, allowing mink farmers time to adjust, along with federal grants to help them shift to alternative industries. This move aligns with a broader global trend, as jurisdictions around the world have taken action to end fur farming, often while providing some form of transition support for farmers and employees.
The bill also reflects changing societal attitudes toward fur farming. With declining demand and increasing ethical concerns, the industry faces an uncertain future regardless of legislative action.
In Canada, legislation was introduced in 2022 by Liberal MP Nathaniel Erskine-Smith to prohibit fur farming due to the risk to public health and animal welfare concerns associated with the practice. In the last Parliamentary session, Mr. Erskine-Smith had also introduced a pandemic prevention bill which included provisions to “phase out commercial activities that disproportionately contribute to pandemic risk.” Unfortunately, neither bill became law before Parliament was prorogued in early January.
As Canada heads into a federal election on April 28, 2025, now is the time to reach out to candidates running in your area and ask them what steps they will take to end fur farming to protect the public health of Canadians, the environment, and strengthen animal protections.
Learn more about fur farming at FurFarming.ca.
About Jeffrey Phillips
Jeff Phillips is the Managing Director of Dawson Strategic and a fellow of the Canadian Global Affairs Institute. He is an expert in sustainability policy and works with a range of environmental and animal organizations.
