04.12.2024

There is a citizens’ initiative in Finland to close all Finnish fur farms, which produce 500,000 foxes, minks, and raccoon dogs each year. As of December 2023, there are 442 member farms operating in Finland, most of which are family businesses. Ninety-five percent of these fur farms are located in the Ostrobothnia region. 
In the spring and summer of 2023, Finland experienced an outbreak of highly pathogenic H5N1 in over 70 fur farms, likely transmitted by seagulls. This prompted the country to purchase 20,000 doses of the human avian influenza vaccine, which was administered to 450 farm workers and veterinarians.