Photo: Jean-Pierre Muller Agence France-Presse
In 2016, the highest judicial body in the netherlands has ordered the closure of the farms aim by 2024.
A Dutch judge, seized by animal advocates, was ordered Thursday night for a postponement of the slaughter of more than 10,000 mink farming potentially infected with the novel coronavirus, which was expected to begin Friday.
The Dutch authorities had ordered the slaughter because COVID-19 have been reported in small mammals of this farm, who were “likely” transmitted the disease to two employees.
But on Thursday night a judge of a specialist economic court decided for a postponement, until a hearing Monday at which two animal rights groups will be heard.
The cleaning of these farms, which affects seven companies, spread over nine sites in the south of the netherlands, aims to ensure that they do not become foci of contamination, had explained on Wednesday that the minister of Agriculture, Carola Schouten, and the minister of public Health, Hugo de Jonge, on the advice of the health authorities.
“The opinion shows that the virus may continue to circulate in the farming of mink for a long period and therefore can present a risk to public and animal health,” wrote the ministers in a letter sent to the Parliament.
The ministers discussed a measure “difficult” for the affected farmers, who will be entitled to financial compensation.
The Committee for the well-being of the animals shall ensure that the minks are slaughtered in ” a responsible manner “, they said.
The authorities reported in may, both cases are plausible contamination of Dutch by mink, which could be, according to the world health Organization (WHO), the “first known case of transmission” of the new coronavirus from animals to man.
The government has therefore banned the transport of these animals and rendered the screening of COVID-19 mandatory in all farmed mink in the country.
The breeding of mink for the marketing of their fur is very controversial in the netherlands. In 2016, the highest court in the country ordered the closure of farms by 2024.
