殺処分のミンク、掘り起こしを検討　デンマーク

【コペンハーゲンＡＦＰ＝時事】デンマークで、新型コロナウイルス対策の一環として1000万匹以上のミンクが殺処分された問題で、同国政府は27日、早急に埋められた死骸の掘り起こしと焼却を検討していると明らかにした。（写真はデンマーク・コリング近郊のミンク農家で記者団と話し、涙を拭うメッテ・フレデリクセン首相）
　デンマークは世界最大のミンク毛皮輸出国で、殺処分問題は政府を揺るがすスキャンダルに発展している。
　メッテ・フレデリクセン首相は今月初め、新型ウイルスの変異種がミンクから検出されたことを受けた措置として、国内で飼育されている推定１５００万～１７００万匹のミンクの殺処分を発表。だが殺処分が始まった後、裁判所は政府の決定には法的根拠がなかったと判断。農相が引責辞任する事態となった。
　さらに、死骸の処理をめぐる問題も浮上。埋められた大量の死骸が腐敗することで、周辺の土壌に大量のリンと窒素が放出される恐れが出ている。同国西部ホルステブロでは今週、浅い地中に埋められていたミンクの死骸が腐敗により生じたガスにより押し上げられ、地表に出現する現象も起きた。
　新農相に就任したラスマス・プレン氏は２７日、死骸掘り起こしと焼却への支持を表明したものの、そうした措置には環境当局の承認が必要だと述べた。
　ミンクの殺処分問題をめぐっては２６日、影響を受けた農場を訪問したフレデリクセン首相が政府の対応について涙を拭いながら謝罪していた。【翻訳編集ＡＦＰＢＢＮｅｗｓ】
〔ＡＦＰ＝時事〕（2020/11/30-13:44）

Denmark's government said Friday that it was considering digging up and cremating the hastily buried carcasses of millions of culled minks in the latest twist to a virus-linked farming scandal that has shaken the government.
After a mutated version of the novel coronavirus was found in the animals, Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen announced a cull in early November of the estimated 15 to 17 million minks in the Scandinavian nation, the world's biggest exporter of their fur.
Once a mass gassing programme had already begun, a court challenge to the order found that the executive's decision had no legal basis, leading to the resignation of the agriculture minister.
Now problems have emerged with the disposal of the dead animals amid fears that phosphorus and nitrogen could be released in large quantities into the soil surrounding mass graves due to the decomposition process.
Denmark's new minister for agriculture, Rasmus Prehn, on Friday expressed his backing of the idea of exhuming the culled minks and burning them, while saying such a move would need the approval of the country's environment agency.
The desire to get rid of the minks and burned I have had since the first day I heard of it, he told broadcaster TV2.
A majority of the Danish parliament, where the idea has been debated, supports the idea.
Earlier this week, in the western Holstebro municipality, gases released during the decomposition process started to push the carcasses back to the surface of a burial pit that was too shallow.
On Thursday, Prime Minister Frederik wiped away tears and apologised for the handling of the crisis as she visited one of the affected mink farmers.
I don't have any issues with apologising for the course of events, because mistakes have been made, Frederiksen, told broadcaster TV2
The cull was ordered out of fears that a mutated coronavirus found in mink would render vaccines against the disease less effective.
Last week, the Danish government concluded that the potential threat to human vaccines was very likely extinguished, in the absence of any new cases of the mutated version.
More than 10 million minks have already been culled in the Scandinavian country, according to the latest tally.