The insular coordinator of Pacma in Ibiza, Olivier Hassler, has presented allegations to the 2026 budgets of the City Council of Sant Antoni de Portmany, currently in the public information phase, in which he demands the mandatory identification by microchip of all animals managed by the municipality, including community cats, as reported by the animal formation.
Pacma argues that this measure is mandatory since the entry into force of Law 7/2023 on animal protection, which gives local administrations direct responsibility for animals integrated in CER programs (capture, sterilization and return). The formation recalls that this management corresponds to the City Council of Sant Antoni and especially affects the cat colonies of the municipality.
Criticism of the allocation for awareness raising and cat colonies
According to Pacma’s communiqué, the budget for communication and awareness campaigns is clearly insufficient, at only 500 euros. The animal rights group is calling for an increase in this economic endowment in order to develop evaluable actions focused on the management of cat colonies, responsible coexistence and the prevention of animal abandonment, areas that they consider key to complying with current regulations.
Pacma stresses that these actions should be part of a stable municipal strategy and recalls that other municipalities on the island of Ibiza have faced this challenge with greater resources, as reported by La Voz de Ibiza in previous reports on animal protection policies.
No budget for animal collection and custody
Another of the most critical points pointed out by Hassler is the total absence of budget appropriations for the service of collection, custody and care of animals, an item that appears with zero euros in the draft budget of the City Council of Sant Antoni. Pacma considers that this lack puts at risk the continuity of a basic public service and hinders the fulfillment of the legal obligations of the consistory.
The political party proposes an express and sufficient endowment to cover essential expenses such as housing, food, veterinary care, transport and identification of the animals, thus guaranteeing adequate care in accordance with state legislation on animal protection.
