Brittany Ferries Ends Live Irish Calf Exports

On September 1, Brittany Ferries stopped transporting live farm animals including unweaned calves.

The move marks another milestone in a campaign by NGOs to end long-distance live transport and ensure animal welfare legislation is effectively enforced. It has been led by a partnership of animal welfare protection groups including: Ethical Farming Ireland, Compassion in World Farming, Eurogroup for Animals, Eyes on Animals, FOUR PAWS, L214, Southampton Animal Action and Welfarm.

The decision follows growing public and customer concern over the welfare of unweaned calves transported on lengthy sea journeys between Ireland and France, ahead of their onward road journey to destinations across Europe. This year alone over 160,000 calves under six weeks old have been transported on long journeys from Ireland to countries including Poland, Spain, Italy and the Netherlands.

This latest move means that two ferry operators have now stepped away from facilitating the trade within the space of a year, with Stena Line withdrawing their Ireland to France service in October 2025 and Brittany Ferries confirming farmed animal transport would cease from September 1, 2026.

The spotlight now turns firmly on Irish Ferries, the remaining ferry operator transporting unweaned calves from Ireland to France, says Ethical Farming Ireland.