Young calves on a crowded transportation ferry

Big News for Calves: Stena line halts calf exports from Ireland to France 

This is a hugely welcomed and much sort after announcement

9.7.2025

This announcement is hugely welcomed by the animal welfare community who have worked to end the transport of animals from Rosslare, Ireland to Cherbourg, France. We joined other NGOs who have been putting pressure on the Ferry company for the past few years. Stena Line has now announced it will withdraw from this route, calling it a ‘strategic decision’. This route has transported over 260,000 cattle alone in 2025, with over 200,000 of those being unweaned calves.  

Last year, our UK team met with Stena Line’s Chief People, Communications & Sustainability Officer to raise serious animal welfare concerns. Thanks to this dialogue, and through joint efforts with a coalition of NGOs opposing the transport of unweaned calves, which included petitions and open letters, it’s clear our voices have finally been heard.  

Is this the end of live exports from Ireland? Sadly, not. 

The pressure now builds to convince Brittany Ferries to take the same steps. As a company that only entered this trade earlier this year, we remain determined to reverse their decision: we will not stop until they too end their role in transporting unweaned calves for often over 19-hour journeys to be fattened and slaughtered in other countries.  

In recent polling 90% of those who answered were unaware that ferry companies were legally allowed to transport, live, unweaned calves from Ireland to France. But despite this for too long, Stena Lines has been propping up the shipment of tens of thousands of frightened, unweaned calves between Rosslare and Cherbourg  and have been complicit in the substandard  welfare they suffered during these extended journeys. The announcement that they will no longer be running ferries between ireland and France is a cause for celebration, but our work here is not done.  Stena Line's move now turns the heat on Brittany Ferries. They need to act fast, save face and more importantly, show some compassion for the calves.

Simon Pope, Campaigns Lead, FOUR PAWS UK

These ferry companies are not only complicit in this cruel trade, but they are also violating EU law by transporting unweaned animals beyond the legal time limits, without the required rest, feeding, or watering. As major players in the live export chain, ferry companies are pivotal to its continuation, and therefore exponential animal suffering. Removing them from the equation makes the trade less viable and less attractive to those who profit from it. 

Tell Brittany Ferries to stop the cruelty

Email Brittany Ferries CEO and other key employees to tell them to end the transport of calves now

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Simon Pope

Campaigns Lead UK

simon.pope@four-paws.org

Simon works in the Campaigns Team at FOUR PAWS UK. He has a background in Campaign Communications across the charity sector. Simon is passionate about animal welfare and utilises his years of knowledge and experience to bring about change.

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