RT Journal Article
T1 Welfare of American mink, red and Arctic foxes, raccoon dog and chinchilla kept for fur production
A1 Nielsen, Søren Saxmose
A1 Álvarez Sánchez, Julio
A1 Boklund, Anette Ella
A1 Dippel, Sabine
A1 Dorea, Fernanda
A1 Figuerola, Jordi
A1 Miranda Chueca, Miguel Ángel
A1 Michel, Virginie
A1 Nannoni, Eleonora
A1 Nonno, Romolo
A1 Riber, Anja B.
A1 Stahl, Karl
A1 Stegeman, Jan Arend
A1 Thulke, Hans‐Hermann
A1 Tuyttens, Frank
A1 Winckler, Christoph
A1 Díez‐León, Maria
A1 Edwards, Sandra
A1 Schwarzer, Angela
A1 Benedetti, Beatrice
A1 Candiani, Denise
A1 Cattaneo, Eleonora
A1 Hempen, Michaela
A1 Lima, Eliana
A1 Caravaca, Claudia Millán
A1 Tirchett, Neil J.
A1 Van der Stede, Yves
A1 Vitali, Marika
A1 Herskin, Mette S.
AB This Scientific Opinion (SO) addresses a mandate from the EC regarding welfareof the following animals when farmed for their fur: (i) American mink (Neogalevison or Neovison vison), (ii) Red fox (Vulpes vulpes, also known as ‘silver fox’), (iii)Arctic fox (Vulpes lagopus, also known as ‘blue fox’), (iv) Raccoon dog (Nyctereutesprocyonoides, also known as ‘Finnraccoon’) and (v) Chinchilla (Chinchilla lanigera).The request was to identify the most relevant welfare consequences (WCs) foreach species and to determine whether these could be prevented or substantiallymitigated in the current husbandry systems. ‘Current system’ refers strictly tothe cage systems and cage dimensions as described in the EFSA Technical reportproduced under this mandate, as there was no or very limited information avail-able on animals kept in alternative farming systems. Using information obtainedfrom a review of literature, consultations with stakeholders and consideration byEFSA experts, the SO addresses for each species these WCs along with their un-derlying hazards and potential preventive or mitigating measures. In all species,Restriction of movement, Inability to perform exploratory or foraging behaviour,and Sensorial under- and overstimulation were selected as the most relevant WCs,sharing common hazards linked to current cage size and barrenness. Species-specific WCs include: soft tissue lesions and integument damage (mink), and han-dling stress (mink and foxes); locomotory disorders (Arctic fox); group stress (redfox), locomotory disorders and isolation stress (raccoon dog); and inability to per-form comfort behaviour, resting problems and predation stress (chinchilla). In themajority of cases, it is concluded that neither prevention nor substantial mitiga-tion of the identified WCs is possible in the current system. The SO also includesconclusions on limited or substantial mitigation measures in the current systemand, when not possible, on substantial mitigating measures which would requirea change to a different system.
PB Wiley
YR 2025
FD 2025
LK https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/124194
UL https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/124194
LA eng
NO EFSA AHAW Panel (EFSA Panel on Animal Health and Welfare), Nielsen, S. S., Álvarez, J.,Boklund, A. E., Dippel, S., Dorea, F., Figuerola, J., Miranda Chueca, M. Á., Michel, V., Nannoni, E., Nonno, R., Riber, A. B.,Stahl, K., Stegeman, J. A., Thulke, H.-H., Tuyttens, F., Winckler, C., Díez-León, M., Edwards, S., … Herskin, M. S. (2025).Welfare of American mink, red and Arctic foxes, raccoon dog and chinchilla kept for fur production. EFSA Journal,23(7), e9519. https://doi.org/10.2903/j.efsa.2025.9519S U P P O R T I N G I N F O R M AT I O NAdditional supporting information can be found online in the Supporting Information section at the end of this article.
NO Acknowledgements:The AHAW Panel acknowledge the following WG hearing experts for the valuable support provided to this scientific output:Bo Algers, Per Jensen, Stanisław Łapiński, Jens Malmkvist. The AHAW Panel thanks also the contractors Gabrielle Clark (undercontract EOI/EFSA/SCIENCE/2022/01 - CT 19 BIOHAW) and Martina Zappaterra (under contract EOI/EFSA/SCIENCE/2022/01 -CT 21 BIOHAW) for conducting preparatory work; and the EFSA trainees Mariana Aires, Roxane Delacourt, Marianna Kujawaand Benedetta Zanna for the help in organising the information provided via the call for evidence. EFSA extends its ap-preciation to hearing experts participating in the technical hearing meeting in representation of their organisations: MarkGlover, Johanna Korpela, Bethania Malmberg, Steen Henrik Møller, Jaakko Mononen, Jussi Peura, Heather Pickett, ThomasPietsch, Markus Sjöholm, Jyrki Sura; and all European competent institutions, Member State bodies and other stakeholdersfor the information provided through the public calls for evidence, at the stakeholder meeting and field visits
DS Docta Complutense
RD 16 dic 2025