The European mink is currently listed as critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) due to a rapid decline in its population in recent decades. The main reasons for its decline are habitat loss, pollution, hunting, and competition with the non-native American mink, which was introduced to Europe for fur farming.
The American mink (Neovison vison) was introduced to Spain and other parts of Europe for fur farming in the mid-20th century. American mink farming became popular in the 1960s and 1970s, and as a result, thousands of mink were imported to Europe from North America.