Doctors call for end to B.C. fur farming amid COVID-19 concerns
A number of infectious disease doctors in B.C. are pleading with the premier to ban fur farming permanently.
In an open letter to John Horgan, 29 B.C. infectious disease specialists call mink fur farms a serious public health risk that requires immediate action.
“The ongoing presence of large mink fur farms in the province risk development of animal reservoirs and novel variants that threaten to undermine our COVID-19 vaccination program and public health efforts,” reads the letter.
At least 200 mink died after contracting COVID-19 at two Fraser Valley fur farms in late 2020. Earlier this year, a mink tested positive for the virus at a third farm. In response, provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry issued a moratorium on breeding the animals in July. The ban is scheduled to be lifted at the end of January.
Dr. Jan Hajek, an infectious disease doctor at Vancouver General Hospital, says the temporary ban is ineffective, because mink breeding season occurs in the spring. Hajek fears the virus circulating among hundreds of thousands of captive mink in small spaces could spell disaster for public health.
“As (COVID-19) spreads amongst the mink and jumps from human to mink and back, it can accumulate more mutations, making the virus more lethal or more dangerous, and potentially more resistant to our immune system,” Hajek says.
He adds surveillance studies in Denmark show mink that have been infected with COVID-19 once can be reinfected, and genomic studies of the virus on mink in B.C. fur farms found the presence of a mutation associated with partial resistance to antibody-mediated immunity.
This month’s open letter is the second one sent to government officials on this topic this year. In March, infectious disease specialists, with the support of other groups, including the BC SPCA and Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs, called for a review of the licensing and permit process for breeding and confining mink on fur farms. Hajek says the no one from the health or agriculture ministries responded to them directly.
In a statement to CTV News, B.C.’s Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Fisheries said “The B.C. government continues to use enhanced surveillance to monitor, inspect and mitigate SARS-CoV-2 infections in mink farms in the province to protect the public, farm workers and animal health, as a provincial review of the mink farming sector in B.C. continues.”
According to the BC SPCA, there are nine mink fur farms and one chinchilla fur farm operating in B.C. The farms employ approximately 150 people.
“(The provincial government) could support them into transitioning into another industry,” said Hajek.
CTV News has reached out to fur farm advocates, including Canada Mink Breeders Association, for comment.
Oct. 18, 2021 update: The Canada Mink Breeders Association has issued a statement in response to the open letter from B.C. doctors. Read the full statement below.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
The story of how a B.C. man found his birth mother
After his adopted parents died, Dave Rogers set out to learn more about his birth mother. DNA results and a little help from friendly strangers would put him on a path to a small town in England.
Montreal man on the hook for thousands of dollars after a feature on his Tesla caused an accident
A Montreal man is warning Tesla drivers about using the Smart Summon feature after his vehicle hit another in a parking lot.
Italy's white-collar mafia is making a business killing
Italy's mafia rarely dirties its hands with blood these days. Extortion rackets have gone out of fashion and murders are largely frowned upon by the godfathers.
Spike in 'violent rhetoric' since Oct. 7 attack from 'extremist actors,' CSIS warns
The Israel-Hamas war has led to a spike in 'violent rhetoric' from 'extremist actors' that could prompt some in Canada to turn to violence, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service warns.
Russia announces nuclear weapon drills after angry exchange with senior Western officials
Russia plans to hold drills simulating the use of battlefield nuclear weapons, the Defense Ministry announced Monday, days after the Kremlin reacted angrily to comments by senior Western officials about the war in Ukraine and Moscow warned that tensions with the West are deepening.
Summer forecast: What to expect as El Nino weakens
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
Actor Bernard Hill, of 'Titanic' and 'Lord of the Rings,' has died at 79
Actor Bernard Hill, who delivered a rousing cry before leading his people into battle in 'The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King' and went down with the ship as the captain in 'Titanic,' has died.
Dash cam catches moment suspected drunk driver hits parked car, sends it careening into North Shore flower shop
Police say it’s fortunate no one was injured or killed in a collision at North Vancouver’s Park and Tilford shopping centre Saturday evening that sent one vehicle careening into a flower shop and another into a set of concrete barriers outside a Winners store.
Israeli army tells Palestinians to evacuate parts of Gaza's Rafah ahead of an expected assault
The Israeli army ordered some 100,000 Palestinians on Monday to begin evacuating from the southern city of Rafah, signaling that a long-promised ground invasion there could be imminent and further complicating efforts to broker a cease-fire in Gaza.