Exhibitors fined at Lisbon’s exotic animal fair

An inspection carried out at Lisbon’s exotic animal found that many exhibitors were displaying animals whose sale is illegal.

Conditions at the exotic animal exhibition had been denounced by PAN’s MP, André Silva, who asked for an urgent inspection at the events that began on Friday and ended on Sunday.

The president of the Institute of Nature Conservation and Forestry, Rogério Rodrigues confirmed that some exhibitors were fined for selling illegal specimens and that the exhibitors has been inspected by his officers accompanied by the Public Security Police.

André Silva had warned of the conditions in which some of the animals were being displayed and sold at the fair, saying these violated animal welfare laws, and issued a statement “it is unacceptable that the promoters of the event do not ensure the minimum conditions of welfare for these animals, they ignore that they are wild or exotic species with very specific needs and that the public authorities do not push for greater rigour in the control and monitoring of these events.”

PAN says it had received complaints from people who visited the fair, with animal protection associations denouncing the conditions in which animals were kept.

Miguel Anjos, commercial manager of the fair, said that all the species present were registered and has been listed for Lisbon Council, among other entities, before the event took place.

At the event, according to the organisers, 160 exhibitors and about 3,000 animals including dogs, cats, reptiles, insects and farm animals such as horses, ponies, goats and donkeys were on sale to the 35,000 visitors expected during the three days.