Signatures against a poultry 'mega-farm' in Manacor. | Photo: MDB
Andrew EdeManacor23/10/2026 16:20
Two animal-welfare organisations, ARDE and Satya Animal, insist they will not back down in the face of legal action threatened by two poultry concerns, Avícola Son Perot and Avícola Ballester, against Satya Animal spokesperson Kike Gimeno.
Earlier this week, disturbing images were released of hens, said to be at a poultry farm in Manacor operated by Avícola Son Perot, a subsidiary of Avícola Ballester. On Thursday, Avícola Son Perot announced legal action against Kike Gimeno, spokesperson for Satya Animal, referring to a campaign of "defamation and falsehoods". The company has demanded that he retracts statements he has made.
Gimeno has responded by saying: "We cannot retract our statements because we are discussing risks and probabilities - claims based on expert veterinary reports and verified footage." He maintains that the animal-welfare groups can substantiate the origin of their images. "We are entirely confident regarding their source and their veracity; that is precisely why we are making these public allegations."
In his view, the companies' reaction has been an attempt to discredit the accusations. "In reality, they are not the victims here; the victims are the animals, the general public and the environment as well."
Avícola Son Perot and Avícola Ballester point out that, to date, there is "no record of any formal legal complaint" having been filed against them by these groups.
Meanwhile, opposition continues against a proposed 'mega-farm' with some 80,000 hens in Son Brau, Manacor, which is being developed by the same company. 50,000 signatures opposing the project were due to have been submitted on Friday.