President Milanović Meets Representatives of the Animal Friends Association, Who Presented Their Achievements and Initiatives
The President of the Republic of Croatia Zoran Milanović today received representatives of the Animal Friends Association for the protection and rights of animals – Association President Luka Oman and Deputy Chair of the Board of Directors Nikolina Plenar Jeličić – at the Office of the President.
During the meeting, the Association’s representatives highlighted their past activities and achievements, including the ban on breeding animals for fur production and the prohibition of killing animals in shelters. They especially thanked President Milanović for his support of the campaign to introduce a complete ban on noisy pyrotechnics and to restrict light pyrotechnics to New Year’s Eve celebrations, expressing hope that the legislative amendments implementing these measures would soon be adopted.
The representatives also informed the President about current issues in the fields of animal and environmental protection, as well as about initiatives the Association is pursuing at the national and European levels to gain institutional support. They stressed the need for a permanent ban on štraparijada – a horse-dragging competition considered extremely cruel to animals – and advocated for a ban on bottom trawling, which, they said, causes serious and often irreversible harm to marine ecosystems by destroying the seabed. They also called for stronger institutional oversight and criminal penalties for illegal animal trafficking and expressed support for the initiative to establish the Croatian Ranger Service to protect nature and wildlife.
The Association’s representatives further warned about plans to build a so-called “mega” chicken farm in Sisak, which, according to available data, could cause considerable ecological and social harm due to the planned processing of more than 200 million chickens annually –generating carbon emissions equivalent to those of more than 200,000 cars. Speaking about their ongoing projects, they also highlighted the annual ZeGeVege Festival of Sustainable Living, held in Zagreb, which for the past two years has taken place under the patronage of the President of the Republic. They expressed their gratitude to President Milanović for his continued support of the event.
President Milanović was accompanied by Velibor Mačkić, Special Adviser to the President of the Republic for the Economy.
PHOTO: Office of the President of the Republic of Croatia / Marko Beljan