The Ministry of Environment and Water (MEW) announced an important court decision related to invasive alien species in Bulgaria. The Supreme Administrative Court (SAC) definitively confirmed the ban on importing and breeding American mink, which coincides with the expansion of the European list of potentially dangerous biological species.
The European Commission updated the official registry by adding 22 new invasive species, including the American mink. The pan-European ban will come into effect on July 17, 2027, and currently the total number of registered invasive species reaches 112.
The ministerial order for the ban was issued in 2022 and was initially challenged by the only company owning a mink farm in the village of Madzherito, Stara Zagora region. The main arguments for the restriction are related to the extremely aggressive nature of the species and its destructive impact on local ecosystems.
Experts from MEW emphasize that the American mink poses a serious threat to local populations of birds, rodents, amphibians, and aquatic organisms. In addition to ecological risks, there is a potential danger of spreading zoonotic diseases, including coronaviruses.
The statistical data are extremely concerning – cases of American minks in the wild have been registered in 24 European countries, with sustainable populations already established in 19 countries. These minks are a direct threat to endangered European species, especially the European mink.
Bulgaria is joining a series of European countries that are introducing similar bans, including the United Kingdom, Austria, the Netherlands, Slovenia, Croatia, Czech Republic, Italy, France, and others. Outside the European Union, similar restrictions have been introduced in Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Israel, and parts of North America.
Some countries like Germany, Sweden, and Switzerland have introduced such strict requirements for breeding conditions that they have practically eliminated the economic feasibility of mink farms.
The Supreme Administrative Court's decision was officially published on August 11, putting a final point in the discussion about the future of the American mink in Bulgaria.