Aug 3, 2026
Ferry operator
will stop carrying all live animals following sustained
pressure from NGOs
In a major victory for
animals, Brittany Ferries has confirmed it will end the
transport of all live farmed animals, including unweaned
calves, from Ireland to France on its ships from September
2026 at the latest.
The decision follows a sustained
international campaign led by several NGOs including
Compassion in World Farming (CIWF), Ethical Farming Ireland,
WELFARM, FOUR PAWS, L214, Eyes on Animals, Eurogroup for
Animals, Southampton Animal Action and Dorset Animal
Action.
In a decision which provoked international
outcry, Brittany Ferries restarted transporting live animals
in March 2025 after a 30-year pause. In response, CIWF and
partner NGOs in France, the UK and Ireland mobilised
European citizens and more than 100,000 emails were sent to
the company. Two petitions obtained over 100,000 signatures.
In addition, regular demonstrations were held in Ireland,
France and the UK over the past year. A joint social media
storm also drew their customers’ attention to this cruel
policy change across the company’s social media channels
in the UK, France, Spain and Poland. Brittany Ferries’
Trustpilot page was temporarily taken down as a direct
result of the action.
This 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.
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By the time the ships
reach France on these journeys, unweaned calves have gone
for over 18 hours without food. This is in breach of EU
animal welfare law. Many calves are transported onwards to
other countries including the Netherlands, Spain and
Poland.
In a survey released in January, 82% of EU
citizens expressed concern about the transport of very young
and unweaned animals, with only 22% convinced that current
protections were adequate. The export of live animals for
fattening and slaughter was banned in Great Britain in 2024,
on the grounds of cruelty.
Brittany Ferries’
withdrawal from this trade makes Irish Ferries an outlier,
as the only carrier to continue the cruel practice of
transporting unweaned calves from Ireland to France, since
Stena Line withdrew from the Ireland to France route last
year. Pressure is now mounting on Irish Ferries to follow
suit.
Charlotte Reid, Deputy Director of Global
Campaigns at Compassion in World Farming
said:
“This is a landmark victory for animals.
After months of campaigning by NGOs, with the support of
hundreds of thousands of supporters across Europe, Brittany
Ferries has finally listened.
“Animals are
not cargo and they should not be forced to suffer on these
gruelling, stressful journeys.
“We won’t stop
campaigning until this cruel, unnecessary practice has been
completely consigned to the history books. Irish Ferries is
now the only operator continuing the trade from Ireland to
France, and we’re calling on them to urgently follow suit
and end the live transport of animals.”
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.”
Corinna
Reinisch, Animal Welfare Issue Navigator for big cats, bears
and farmed animals at FOUR PAWS
said:
“With one less ferry company
transporting live animals, this is a major victory for
animal welfare in Europe. By choosing to opt out of this
practice, Brittany Ferries put animal welfare over
profit.
“While we celebrate this development,
it must also be seen as a wakeup call for others. Both the
European Union and private companies must follow along. EU
decision makers must realise that transporting live animals
by sea is an outdated practice that causes unnecessary
animal suffering.”
Brigitte Gothière,
Executive Director at L214 said:
“This is a
historic victory that marks a decisive step towards ending
this shameful trade. L214 and European NGOs will remain
fully mobilised to ensure that no unweaned calf is ever
transported across the English Channel
again.”
Lucy Bridgewater from Southampton
Animal Action, said:
“This is great news for the
animals and for the community of protesters who have been
present at Portsmouth Port for over a year. This trade is
unacceptable and we know from meeting their customers that
they think this too.”
The EU is currently
reviewing its 20-year-old Transport Regulation (EC) No
1/2005, detailing the block’s rules governing the welfare
of animals during transport. While better enforcement of
current rules is needed, CIWF and FOUR PAWS urge European
lawmakers to speed up negotiations to achieve an ambitious
revision that ensures the highest welfare standards for
animals during transport and a ban on the export of live
animals for slaughter and
fattening.
