07/05/2024

Richichi: “It’s an abominable event that also puts citizens’ health at risk.”

The municipality of Corato (Bari), in Puglia, has announced the first edition of the horse meat festival, scheduled for Saturday 11th and Sunday 12th May. 

Puglia tops the national statistics for horse meat consumption, and Italy is the leading country in Europe. “For this reason, we are not surprised by the organisation of the festival in a small town in Puglia, although fortunately, the vast majority of public opinion is horrified by such events,” says IHP President Sonny Richichi. “They are trying to normalise and even legitimise an act that is strongly opposed by the majority of Italians, for whom horses are companion animals that should not be killed, let alone eaten. The problem is that the Italian legal system goes in the opposite direction and continues to consider horses as livestock.”

We continue our fight to ensure that horses are considered companion animals in every respect and are excluded from the food chain, also to protect public health. Numerous investigations, including recent ones, have highlighted serious issues related to horse slaughter, due to the lack of meat traceability and the presence of residues from substances often used in sports. Many investigations have revealed that horses with a history in racing and equestrian sports often end up in slaughterhouses. Besides the welfare and protection of these highly exploited animals, there is also the issue of human health, given the real and proven risk of dangerously contaminated or otherwise uncontrolled meat entering the market.

YOU PROTEST TOO!

We want this festival to be cancelled and ask citizens who, like us, are outraged to make their voices heard by bombarding the Corato Council with protests.

Here are the contact details: email info@comune.corato.ba.it - PEC protocollo@pec.comune.corato.ba.it - telephone 080 959 2111

RECOMMENDED TEXT:

I have learned that Corato will host the "first horse meat festival" on the upcoming 11th and 12th of May: I find it an abominable event that seeks to normalise and even legitimise an act strongly opposed by the majority of Italians, for whom horses are companion animals that should not be killed, let alone eaten. I want this initiative to be cancelled because it is unworthy and uncivilised. I believe that the citizens of Corato will benefit from higher and better quality tourism by showing concern for animal welfare instead of unscrupulously using and consuming them.

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