The provincial government says it has been working diligently to protect mink in the province’s fur industry from exposure to COVID-19.

British Columbia is banning mink farming, forcing the closure of all operations because of the risk the animals pose for spread of COVID-19. All farms in the Pacific province must be closed and pelts sold off by April of 2025.

Meanwhile, Nova Scotia is helping farmers with the cost of vaccinating mink against COVID-19.

The provincial government says there have not been any COVID-19 outbreaks related to mink farms in this province and no symptomatic mink have been reported. The Department of Fisheries, Forestry and Agriculture’s Animal Health Division has been working with fur breeders to protect mink from exposure to the virus with a number of guidelines and biosecurity measures in place.

The department says if an outbreak were to occur, the province would work with the federal government to implement testing, quarantine and containment.