Cull needed on infected mink farms: breeders
Newfoundland and Labrador's Fur Breeders Association says killing all the mink on farms infected with Aleutian disease is the best way to deal with the contagious virus.
The disease does not threaten humans, but can cause reproductive problems and poor pelts in mink, and can often kill them.
Merv Wiseman, president of the Fur Breeders Association, said the province needs to regain its disease-free status in the marketplace. The optimal choice is a cull.
"As far as the Fur Breeders Association is concerned, that would be the preference," said Wiseman.
"That's clearly the best."
To manage a cull, Wiseman said, would require a compensation package for farmers who have invested substantially in startup costs.
"What we need to understand here is the scope of the problem, what are the options that we have before us, and then we need to do some analysis of the costs for each of those options," she said.
The department is waiting for the results of tests at all of the province's mink farms.
Jamie Stone, who raises mink in Charlottetown, Labrador, confirmed that his 500-animal farm has the disease.
"It was a shock," Stone told CBC News.
Wiseman said he is not surprised to hear of new reports of Aleutian disease, pointing out that several farms bought the same breeding stock at the same time.
"The situation has been contained. I don't think there's been any [new] spread of Aleutian disease since we became aware of this particular situation," he said.
The discovery of the disease on one ranch was announced last month, putting at risk the mink farm industry, which has grown from practically nothing to $70 million per year in a few short years.
Tests have been completed at about two-thirds of the province's mink farms. The provincial veterinarian's office hopes to have testing completed by the end of the week.