Ethical Farming Ireland has followed up a July 2024 open letter to Stena Line CEO Niclas Martensson with another signed by 18 NGOs across Europe asking the company to stop the export of unweaned calves from Ireland on its vessels.
Every year, tens of thousands of calves - as young as 15-days-old - are sent on long journeys to mainland Europe. Most end up in inhumane veal farms in the Netherlands, says the NGO.
Calves travel from Rosslare to Cherbourg port in crowded trucks. While being exported, unweaned calves cannot be fed because they are dependent on milk. It is acknowledged that it is impossible to give them milk in a truck containing around 300 calves.
The ferry journey takes 18 hours. When this is also factored in with loading and unloading times, journeys to and from ports, and waiting times at feeding stations, calves end up routinely deprived of feed for around 30 hours, sometimes more.
“Depriving any animal of feed for 30 hours is unacceptable and inhumane, and this is a far cry from the animal friendly image Stena portrays with its pet friendly cabins,” says the NGO.
The European Commission has confirmed that such journeys are in breach of EC Regulation 1/2005, following an audit conducted in June 2022. This regulation exists to protect animals during long distance transport.
Only a small percentage of dairy calves born in Ireland are exported, the majority are kept on the island and reared for beef.
