For immediate release: Sofia, August 14, 2025
The existence of mink fur farms shall become impossible due to the negative impact of the non-native species American mink on native animal species.
On 11 August 2025, the Supreme Administrative Court (SAC) of Bulgaria upheld the decision of the Sofia City Administrative Court from 27.06.2024, thus, rejecting the appeal of Farmpro OOD – the company managing the only fur farm with American mink in Bulgaria (at that time), against Order No. РД-449/31.05.2022 of the Minister of Environment and Water. On the grounds of Art. 67, para. 4, item 2 and Art. 115, para. 1, item 14 of the Biodiversity Act, the Order banned the imports and breeding of American mink (Neovison vison) on the territory of the Republic of Bulgaria.
As a party to the court proceedings, the Association “Campaigns and Activism for Animals in the Industry” (CAAI) would like to point out that the American mink is the most common species raised for their fur on farms and that many European countries have already banned fur farms mostly because of humane considerations. A legislative proposal imposing a ban on all fur farms has been submitted to the Bulgarian Parliament. Its examination is pending.
Footage from a mink fur farm in Bulgaria in recent years showed the horrific conditions in which wild animals are bred, crammed into tight, dirty cages. The footage also showed animals with severe wounds and skin diseases, dead animals left rotting in the cages, cannibalism and self-inflicted injuries. Seven months after their birth, the life of the mink on the fur farms ends in gas chambers. After that their fur is harvested and sold at fashion auctions for luxury decorations and clothing. The last mink fur farm in Bulgaria closed in January this year. Its capacity was nearly 129,000 mink per year.
“Our efforts to ban fur farms started more than 8 years ago. During this time, a lot of scientific evidence has been collected about the harmful impact of the American mink species on the local ecosystems and biodiversity. The order which bans breeding and importing mink is a big step towards protecting biodiversity, animals and public health. In this way, Bulgaria inches closer to the civilized countries where the protection of the well-being of all living beings is a fundamental value”, says the chairperson of CAAI Petya Altimirska.
The association expresses its utmost gratitude to Assoc. Prof. Yordan Koshev, PhD, with the Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences for the scientific research regarding the American mink in recent years. CAAI would also like to thank Assoc. Prof. Koshev’s team and all his colleagues from the scientific community who defended the need for the order banning the imports and breeding of American mink.
According to CAAI, “All this happened thanks to the long-lasting and consistent campaigns in which tens of thousands of people in Bulgaria took part. Without the public support and voluntary work of animal rights and environmental activists, the practice of killing hundreds of thousands of animals in Bulgaria every year would have continued. We thank you all!”
Link to a mink fur farm photo gallery
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