site.btaVelichie Opposes Unregulated Farm Animal Culling in Declaration

Maria Ilieva MP of Velichie Wednesday read a declaration in Parliament on behalf of her parliamentary group that opposes the unregulated culling of farm animals, describing it as "serious abuse, lack of control and a profound violation of the law in the course of the so-called epidemic measures". The declaration was prompted by the recent outbreaks of ovine rinderpest (PPR) in Southern Bulgaria.

"In Plovdiv Region, thousands of healthy animals, including local breeds that cannot be replaced, have been slaughtered in a matter of days. Dozens of families have been left without a livelihood, without compensation, without an alternative. Ecological areas and water sources are threatened by actions prohibited by law," the declaration reads. All this, Ilieva said, is happening before the eyes and with the knowledge of the responsible institutions – the Bulgarian Food Safety Agency, the Regional Food Safety Directorate in Plovdiv, and the Ministry of Interior, "who are protecting those who commit the crimes instead of protecting the innocent owners of the herds. This picture, valid for Plovdiv Region, is probably valid for the whole country," according to Velichie. "This is justified only by the fact that ‘this is what Europe says’, these are their directives, and they do not take into account that these diseases can be treated, vaccines can be administered, there are no preventive measures, and there is only one solution – killing," the declaration reads. 

Ilieva said that on July 17 in the village of Tatarevo, a team from the Velichie parliamentary group came across "massive unregulated burial of animals – over 400 sheep buried near a water source and mineral spring. There is no protocol, no commission approval, no coordination with the Regional Health Inspectorate, and no compliance with sanitary parameters," the MP said, promising that they would show a film as evidence of what had been described.

In a number of other settlements such as Manole, Trilistnik, and Dalbok Izvor, animals have been euthanised for no apparent reason, without quarantine, without treatment, in violation of the regulations, according to Velichie.

To date, over 10,000 animals have been killed, and the killing continues every day, Ilieva added. At the root of all this is yet another money-making scheme, disguised as emergency measures, false documents for euthanasia without consent, and uncontrolled contracts. What is happening is destruction organised under the pretext of protection, but in reality it is mass abuse and the collapse of the State, according to the political force.

"This government is not only incompetent but also dangerous; it steals not only money but also livelihoods, drains people's patience, and destroys the work of generations," Velichie's declaration reads.