Date: March 19, 2026Author(s): Kitty Block
We just released findings from the first-ever undercover investigation of fur farms in Iceland, revealing terrible animal suffering that is the status quo of the global fur industry. This makes it no less shocking.
In November 2025, investigators documented what they saw on three fur farms in Iceland. What they witnessed won’t soon be forgotten: mink with large wounds and infections, covered in blood; lifeless bodies, splayed on the bottoms of filthy and tiny wire cages; surviving animals pacing and circling endlessly.
This was not an isolated failure in animal welfare standards or a momentary lapse. It is simply the everyday reality of fur farming.
There’s just one fur farm left in Iceland. And we firmly believe that that’s still one too many.
In 2013, 43 fur farms operated in Iceland. The number of mink bred and killed for fur has plummeted from 200,000 in 2015 to 65,000 in 2024. Demand has nearly vanished. The global fashion world has moved on: Leading designers and brands have rejected fur in favor of innovative, cruelty-free materials. Twenty-four European countries have banned fur farming.
Now, the three farms we investigated are closed, reportedly due to financial collapse. But the industry is not yet history. Iceland now stands at a crossroads.
Holt i Floa mink fur farm Iceland 18 November 2025.
Today, just 30 minutes from Reykjavík, Iceland’s last remaining fur farm continues to operate, breeding and confining thousands of mink. Inspectors have repeatedly documented issues—mink with bite wounds, untreated injuries, abscesses, signs of cannibalism and barren cages offering no enrichment or protection from the elements.
So, while the fur industry may cling to some illusion of oversight through discredited “welfare” certification schemes, real veterinary inspections tell a very different story. Fur farming is also environmentally destructive and poses serious public health risks, with outbreaks of COVID-19 and avian influenza documented on fur farms across Europe and North America.
Nedri Dalur mink fur farm in Iceland 19 November 2025.
There’s no such thing as a humane fur farm, yet the end of fur farming is not inevitable without steadfast pressure and advocacy. Just as we were releasing this investigation, we learned that the European Commission may yet reject calls for an EU-wide ban on fur farming, opting instead to propose stricter animal welfare standards for the sector. We remain firm that there is no way to create standards that would make fur farming humane.
The Icelandic authorities’ swift response to the horrendous images from this investigation is extremely encouraging. The Government’s Food and Veterinary Authority (MAST) has condemned conditions, saying mink can’t engage in natural behaviors on fur farms, and the Icelandic Veterinary Association has stated its support for a ban on fur farming. Responding to high-profile media interest, the Minister said that the investigation showed unacceptable treatment of animals, that there is a clear need to update the country’s Animal Welfare Act, and indicated that Iceland may follow its European neighbors and introduce a fur farming ban.
You can help put an end to fur in fashion by sharing the truth about this industry with your family and friends, and you can join us and our Icelandic partners Dyravelferd (Animal Welfare Iceland) in urging the end of fur farming in Iceland. Together, we can relegate all of this cruelty to the past.
Exposing the Big Game 