Student unions & animal welfare groups request that Municipal Council takes action on horse carriages
CORFU. "The issue must be discussed immediately with the aim of abolishing this custom and generally expanding the legal framework."
The student unions of the Departments of Foreign Languages, Translation and Interpreting and Audiovisual Arts, the animal welfare group Corfu Animal Protection Society (KEPZ) and the environmental group Fridays For Future Corfu (FFF Corfu) are requesting a clear position from the Municipal Council on the horse carriages in a joint statement:
"It may be that for some this practice is an element that adds to the island's picturesque appearence and tourism, but the facts show that we are dealing with yet another case of exploitation and abuse of animals for profit.
These horses are forced to go round the town several times a day, dragging the carriage with the passengers, in conditions of extreme heat and without any protection from the sun during the ride. We do not know the conditions under which animals are cared for when they are off work. We consider it hypocritical to call this incident a "work accident", as the shameless exploitation of the workforce has a long history in Greek capitalist society. We can now see that Greece's image as a tourist paradise is cracking and the fragility of the tourism industry is threatening our natural environment.
Greece also lacks an appropriate legal framework for the protection of working animals. Despite the adoption of Law 4830/21, which relates to the protection of animals, there is no relevant provision for equine animals, nor is their registration under the relevant European regulation of 2008 applied.
On Friday 7 July, a protest gathering was held outside the Old Fortress by animal welfare groups of the island, filing a complaint. We support this action and any subsequent action by the animal welfare groups. We hear and reproduce their slogan "Corfu must not become Santorini!"
We request that the Municipal Council takes a clear position and include the issue immediately in its next provision, with the aim of abolishing this custom and generally expanding the legal framework to include equines, defining more clearly the conditions for "welfare".
Co-signed by the Boards of the student unions of the Departments of Foreign Languages, Translation and Interpreting and Audiovisual Arts, the Board of the animal group Corfu Animal Protection Society (KEPZ) and the environmental group "Fridays For Future Corfu".
