Commission report blasts decision to cull all Denmark’s mink
COPENHAGEN, Denmark — A Danish Parliament-appointed fee has harshly criticized the nation’s authorities for its decision to cull hundreds of thousands of wholesome mink on the top of the coronavirus pandemic to defend people from a mutation of the virus.
The 2020 decision to wipe out Denmark’s whole captive mink inhabitants had stirred sturdy controversy, notably as the required laws to permit such a drastic transfer was put in place greater than a month after the cull had began.
In its report launched Thursday, the fee stated Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen was “grossly misleading” throughout a Nov. 4 press convention when she introduced that all mink — contaminated and wholesome animals alike — ought to be culled. The report additionally criticized different high Danish officers.
The culling of up to 17 million animals was ordered after a mutated model of the coronavirus was present in farms in northern Denmark and contaminated 11 individuals. Although there was no proof that the mutated model was extra harmful, the federal government stated it moved proactively.
Frederiksen, who heads a minority Social Democratic authorities, has insisted that she didn’t know the decision was illegal, saying it was “based on a very serious risk assessment.”
The fee additionally stated in its 1,649-page report that Mogens Jensen, the minister in command of farming who finally resigned over the mink cull, gave “incorrect information.”
The findings may finally imply that lawmakers resolve whether or not present or former members of presidency ought to get a reprimand or face impeachment proceedings which can be hardly ever utilized in Denmark.
Although that might take days, if not weeks, the publication of the report was high information in Denmark. Frederiksen — who with different key officers has been interviewed by the fee arrange in December 2020 — is scheduled to maintain a press convention Friday on the difficulty.
The three-member fee additionally advisable in its report that 10 high civil servants ought to face disciplinary actions.
Frederiksen’s authorities introduced the cull in early November 2020. Jensen resigned Nov. 18, hours after a primary probe made it clear that the required laws wasn’t in place , and the federal government scrambled to build political consensus. On Dec. 25, 2020, a parliament majority lastly voted the laws enabling the culling . The following month, lawmakers granted mink farmers a compensation of practically 19 billion kroner ($2.7 billion).
Danish mink farms had been the world’s largest provider of mink fur, accounting for 40% of worldwide manufacturing. Most of exports went to China.
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