Animal welfare organisations have said the decision by Brittany Ferries to end livestock transport is a victory for animal welfare.
The company has decided to cease transport of all live farmed animals, including unweaned calves, from Ireland to France from September 2026 at the latest.
A sustained international campaign led by several NGOs including Ethical Farming Ireland (EFI), Compassion in World Farming (CIWF), WELFARM, FOUR PAWS, L214, Eyes on Animals, and Eurogroup for Animals, Southampton Animal Action and Dorset Animal Action has forced the company to exit the livestock transport trade.
Live Animal Exports
In March 2025, Brittany Ferries resumed transporting live animals after a 30 year break.
This lead to protest events by animal welfare organisations at ferry ports in Rosslare, Ireland and in Portsmouth, England, where the company runs ferry services from and has it office in the city.
Over 100,000 e-mails was received by the company’s office on the subject of live animal transport, An EU wide social media campaign also highlighted the company’s role in this trade of calves to mainland Europe.
This advocacy resulted in four meetings with the company and NGOs – in which advocates called for an immediate end to the practice of transporting unweaned calves and all other animals.
Ethical Farming Ireland
Caroline Rowley Executive Director for Ethical Farming Ireland said: “Brittany Ferries started transporting unweaned calves from Ireland last year in the full knowledge that they could not be fed during the 18-hour ferry journey to France, which is not only cruel it is in breach of EU legislation.
“After over a year of campaigning we are delighted that the CEO has finally made the principled choice to stop all involvement in this trade. Irish Ferries is now the only ferry company profiting from animal cruelty and suffering.”
In 2025, 184,211, calves/0-6 weeks were exported from Ireland to mainland Europe. 38,938 animals being 6 weeks-6 months were also exported
Irish calves are exported via road and sea to countries including: Holland, Spain, Italy, Romania, Hungary, Croatia, Lithuania, and Poland.
Farming and Political Response
Farming interest groups and politicians have condemned the move by Brittany Ferries.
The Irish Farmers Association/IFA President Francie Gorman, said the Minister for Agriculture and the Department of Agriculture have made it clear that Ireland operates to the highest standards, not just EU standards, but EU-Plus standards, with inspections and continual monitoring to ensure that ‘the highest animal welfare standards are strictly complied with during transport of live cattle from this country.
The IFA President said Irish farmers cannot have access to the Single Market determined by the commercial decisions of ferry companies or any other service providers.
Mr O’ Gorman said, “I raised this issue with the Minister today. It is imperative that he and his EU colleagues ensure Irish cattle continue to have unhindered access to the marketplace,” conclude
MEP Billy Kelleher/ Fianna Fáil said that the decision by Britany Ferries to stop transporting calves to mainland Europe “significantly undermines” not just the calf export industry but Irish agriculture in general.
He has called upon the Minister for Agriculture, Food, and the Marine/DAFM, Martin Heydon, to step in and ensure that Irish farmers can get their animals off the island of Ireland.
Irish MEP Ciaran Mullooly/Independent Ireland has said he intends to raise this decision with the EU Commission and Taoiseach Micheál Martin. He said what Brittany Ferries has decided to do extends far beyond a commercial decision and has significant implications for Irish livestock exports.
Animal Welfare Standards
The EU is currently reviewing transport regulation (EC) No 1/2005 that is over 20 years old.
Animal welfare organisations are urging European lawmakers to speed up negotiations to achieve an ambitious revision that ensures the highest welfare standards for animals during transport and a complete ban on the export of live animals for slaughter and fattening.
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