The political party People-Animals-Nature (PAN) has raised questions with the government on Tuesday concerning videos depicting staff mistreating ducks at Marinhave, a company in Santarém.
The situation came to light after the Spanish non-governmental organization ARDE received complaints and subsequently infiltrated the site.
“The footage reveals practices that clearly violate existing laws, notably the Animal Protection Law, which forbids ‘all unjustified violence against animals, considering such acts as inflicting death, cruel and prolonged suffering, or serious injuries to an animal without necessity’, and stipulates that ‘sick, injured, or endangered animals should be aided when possible’,” stated PAN spokesperson Inês de Sousa Real in a note to Notícias ao Minuto.
The party leader also pointed out that the same images, which can be viewed here, “indicate multiple violations of both European and national animal welfare standards.” However, viewers are warned about the violent and sensitive content of the footage.
The document recently sent by PAN inquires whether “the government can confirm if DGAV has initiated sanction proceedings against Marinhave due to practices documented by the ARDE Global investigation and whether a process has begun to revoke or suspend the operating license of the Benavente facility.”
The party is also seeking clarification on the criteria for reintroducing animals to the facility and what preventive and systematic oversight measures are in place, or planned, to ensure compliance with animal welfare and public health standards in intensive livestock operations.
Marinhave received 1.8 million euros from the Common Agricultural Policy between 2016 and 2022, prompting inquiries on whether “an audit, sanction, or potential recovery of funds has been triggered under the CAP conditionality regime.”
“As animal welfare becomes a confidence factor for consumers and international markets, merely announcing occasional inspections or temporary measures is insufficient. It is crucial to establish a permanent, stringent, and independent oversight policy to prevent practices that undermine animal dignity and food safety, holding accountable those companies that, despite legal violations, continue to receive public financial support,” concluded PAN’s spokesperson, noting that this case “is not isolated, with a recent investigation into Lusiaves also exposing serious compliance failures.”
