Brittany Ferries, the well-known French shipping company operating routes between Ireland, the UK, and France, has made a shocking U-turn for animals.¹ 

After 30 years of refusing to take part in the live animal trade, the company has now decided to resume transporting animals between Ireland and France on their roll on, roll off ferries. This decision is exposing thousands of animals to long, exhausting journeys across land and sea.

One of the most troubling aspects? The route is often used to transport unweaned, vulnerable calves, just a few weeks old, who are torn from their mothers, loaded onto trucks, and shipped to Europe to be fattened on farms and slaughtered for veal. Some are then sent beyond the EU to countries like North Africa and the Middle East, where welfare protections are minimal or non-existent. Putting these vulnerable lives through such misery is not okay, and Brittany Ferries is prioritising profit over the welfare of these animals. 

In just the first four months of this year, Ireland has already exported 160,000 cattle — a number that's rapidly rising with Brittany Ferries re-entering the trade. Exports are now up 20% compared to the same period last year. Most alarming is the fact that 71% of these animals — over 110,000 — were unweaned calves under six weeks old. Torn away from their mothers far too soon, these vulnerable young animals are being subjected to long, gruelling journeys that pose serious welfare concerns.²