It’s been ten years since 13,000 sheep tragically died of dehydration, hunger and exhaustion throughout an extended sea journey from Romania to Somalia. This devastating occasion in 2015 uncovered the world to the unacceptable situations confronted by thousands and thousands of farmed animals on lengthy sea journeys every year.
As we approached the tenth anniversary of this tragedy – which led to the creation of the Ban Reside Exports Worldwide Consciousness Day marked on Saturday (14 June) – it was unimaginable that Britanny Ferries would resolve to hitch StenaLine and Irish Ferries in taking part on this dreadful commerce, 30 years after abandoning the merciless observe of transporting stay animals for slaughter or fattening.
For this reason Compassion in World Farming is submitting a grievance to the European Parliament demanding pressing motion to cease the 18-hour sea journeys endured by unweaned calves from Eire to France — which the European Fee has already recognised is in breach of the present transport regulation.
To keep away from these 13,000 sentient animals being forgotten, we should confront who’s permitting this merciless commerce to happen: on the one hand, a European Union that fails to implement its present guidelines whereas dragging its ft on bettering animal safety. And however, personal firms that put income earlier than the welfare of sentient beings.
In a 2023 audit, the European Fee said that in its view: “…the transport of unweaned calves from Eire to France is being carried out in breach of Council Regulation 1/2005 on the safety of animals throughout transport.”
However regardless of the clear pronouncement, the EU’s govt has but to take motion to make sure EU nations do implement these guidelines.
18-hour crossing
In 2025 alone, over 140,000 unweaned calves, beneath six weeks outdated, have been exported from Rosslare, Eire to Cherbourg, France. By EU legislation, these younger and susceptible animals have to be fed milk replacer as soon as each 9 hours, but whereas being transported on this lengthy sea crossing, which takes as much as 18 hours, it’s merely not attainable.
Among the many varied kinds of transport, the European Meals Security Authority (EFSA) concluded that sea transport is probably the most hazardous one to animals.
This traps animals in an inconceivable state of affairs – with 1000’s drastically struggling starvation and thirst, experiencing concern and misery.
And as if that isn’t sufficient, many are then transported additional to different EU nations corresponding to Italy, Spain and Poland.
The EU will not be solely reluctant to correctly implement the 20-year-old guidelines at present in place, however additionally it is hesitating to mirror the newest scientific findings from EFSA into laws that higher defend animals.
In 2023, the EU’s govt did not ship a long-awaited overhaul of the EU’s animal welfare laws. As a substitute, it offered a toothless proposal that fell in need of delivering actual change for animals and merely tweaked some technical features of guidelines regulating the welfare of animals on the time of transport.
The proposal is at present being reviewed by the European Parliament, who buried it in over 3,000 amendments, whereas some EU nations trace at slashing it altogether.
Regrettably, of their present state, the proposed new guidelines would do little to supply stronger safety, and there are even ideas to exclude sea journeys from total journey instances — a stunning transfer that will trigger untold extra struggling.
As a substitute, European lawmakers ought to deal with this as a useful legislative alternative to raised defend susceptible beings, like unweaned calves, and ban the export of all stay animals to 3rd nations whereas selling the commerce of meat and carcasses – which is already proven to be higher for the animals and economically sound.
In March this yr, ferry firm Brittany Ferries resumed the export of stay animals – primarily cattle, together with susceptible unweaned calves – from Eire to France.
This stunning choice got here simply months after Compassion wrote to Brittany Ferries, thanking it for refusing to move stay farmed animals for additional fattening and slaughter for the previous 30 years.
This triggered a major backlash, with tens of 1000’s of involved residents sending complaints to the corporate and over 120 scientists, MEPs, consultants and celebrities – together with actors Dame Joanna Lumley and Pauline McLynn, and TV presenter Chris Packham – signing an open letter, urging the corporate to rethink.
‘Unforgettable expertise’
It’s arduous to consider that the resumption of stay animal exports will contribute to the “unforgettable expertise” Brittany Ferries guarantees its prospects, who’re prone to be appalled on the thought of travelling with struggling animals crammed in lorries beneath deck.
For 15 days beginning as we speak, individuals in Europe are inspired to boost consciousness of this merciless commerce and call personal ferry firms to induce them to cease facilitating it. This timeframe mirrors one of many longest journeys ever undertaken by animals from the EU to Jordan, which lasted 15 days.
With greater than eight-in-10 Europeans in favour of limiting the transport time of animals, European lawmakers should urgently step up their sport and reply to its residents.
The present guidelines are outdated and in pressing want of a revision that places an finish to the merciless commerce of stay animals as soon as and for all, and drastically improves the welfare necessities for transport.
Imposing and bettering the safety of farmed animals, and particularly that of probably the most susceptible ones, can’t solely change the lives of 1000’s, however can even inform how the EU will go down in historical past. Borrowing from Mahatma Gandhi, its greatness and ethical progress shall be judged by the best way its animals are handled.
This yr, we flip 25 and are on the lookout for 2,500 new supporting members to take their stake in EU democracy. A functioning EU depends on a well-informed public – you.
