The Government of Denmark affirms that the slaughter of millions of minks in the heat of pandemic was “successful”

, Dec 9 () –

The Prime Minister of Denmark, Mette Frederiksen, assured this Thursday that the decision to slaughter millions of minks throughout Denmark in the middle of the pandemic was “the right one” to prevent a further spread of the virus.

“I can say a lot, but the most important thing is that the decision to eliminate all minks was correct,” Frederiksen said at a press conference before speaking before a commission investigating the government’s actions during the pandemic.

Frederiksen now has to answer questions about the need to eliminate minks, which resulted in the destruction of a branch of Danish industry. In total, some 17 million minks were slaughtered, sparking outrage from farmers and farmers, who are seeking compensation.

The head of the Danish Executive is the last person to testify before the members of the commission, who have collected the testimonies of some 60 people between October and December. Among them are the ministers of Justice, Health and Finance, according to information from the newspaper ‘Jyllands Posten’.

Parliament decided to open an investigation into the matter in 2020 after the slaughter of the minks, which was described by many as an “ecological catastrophe”. Some experts warned of a possible contamination of the waters due to the decomposition of the bodies of buried animals.

However, the Government has defended at all times the need to carry out this measure to prevent the spread of the virus. In December, Parliament passed a law prohibiting raising minks until the end of this year.

In addition, Parliament has agreed to pay compensation of up to 18,800 crowns (about 2,500 euros) to those affected. The government, for its part, has had to admit that it lacked legal backing when it demanded the slaughter of the animals before the law on the matter was approved.