With the decision on 4 November 2020 to cull all mink in Denmark, a large industry was de facto closed down for the first time. It was also the first time that public health had had such a major influence on a significant political decision. Public health, and assessments and recommendations of the health authorities were decisive in the decisions.
However, because it was the first time this had occurred, it was not possible to draw on past experiences from similar situations. The decision-making process was difficult, and it resulted in a somewhat unstable and messy process: The strategy for combating was changed several times and took place in five different phases. The estimated cost of the closure increased, and the weighing up of the pros and cons was lacking. A very important justification for the culling, the fear of COVID-19 mutations and, thus, the weakening of future vaccines, was
apparently unfounded.
The process led to a number of further discussions including the extent of the cullings, the socio-economic costs, the basis for decisions, the valuation of the income losses, and a possible ban on future mink production.