2020 Danish mink cull

From top, left to right: Danish prime minister Mette Frederiksen • Protesters in Copenhagen • Minister of food Mogens Jensen • A mink (Neogale vison)

The 2020 Danish mink cull was the government-mandated slaughter of all roughly 17 million mink that were being raised on farms for their fur in Denmark. The cull started in September in response to the detection of Cluster 5, an outbreak of a novel variant of SARS-CoV-2, in the mink during the COVID-19 pandemic in Denmark. The cluster led to concerns that the potential of spillover to humans could reduce the efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines. The cull was made nation-wide on 4 November 2020; however, two days later the government announced that the extension of the cull orders had been given without legal authority, causing a political scandal, also known as the "Mink Case" (Danish: Minksagen). Around 150,000 mink were culled without authority before the problem was identified.

After the legal issues were discovered, the government put forward a bill which, with its adoption on 21 December 2020, established legal authority behind the national culling order. In the meantime, the authorities continued to recommend farmers to continue culling all mink on a voluntary basis. A large number of mink carcasses were buried in mass graves, but were later exhumed and disposed of by incineration, because the buried carcasses posed a danger of polluting the local groundwater. A general ban on mink breeding was established in 2021 and later extended until 31 December 2022.

The actions of several high-profile officials were criticized in the ensuing investigation known as the Mink Commission. The criticism of the majority of the officials was later revoked, however, following a more particular legal inquiry. The political reactions to the handling of the culling caused the resignation of the Minister of Food Mogens Jensen in November 2020 and eventually led to snap general elections in 2022, which resulted in a strengthening of the ruling Social Democratic party. As of 2022, the culling is estimated to have caused kr. 20 billion (US$3 billion) in financial damages. Payment of financial compensation to the mink breeders was originally planned to be paid no later than 2024, but according to later assessments may in some cases be delayed until 2027.