Ireland – France | Highway | Animal transport | Calves

A TSB | AWF team researches in Ireland and Northern Ireland the infrastructure of calf related trade in different markets and several assembly centers of the island. Big cattle traders buy at local markets and arrange meetings along the road and in parking places to export the calves. The animals will be then taken there by the farmers in little vans and trailers. The price of male calves in Ireland is about 20€ and is therefore so low that according to the trader the export is supposed to be the only alternative to the immediate killing of male calves by farmers.

On Saturday twelve livestock transporters, loading mainly calves, leave on the ferry from Rosslare to Cherbourg in France. From there the transport of the animals continues, at best after a break in a supply point, towards Spain, Holland or other European countries. During the journey, none among the drivers we observe, is looking after the animals as actually required by law, because the transporter lacks of water providers.

On the highway we see a fully overloaded Irish transporter. The animals are so close to each other that it is absolutely impossible for them to lie down and rest. The animals on the lower level haven’t enough headroom and hit the ceiling with their backs. At the first and second levels we discover two dying calves.

Because of the many breaches of the EU Regulation 1/2005 on the protection of animals during transport, we decide to organize a police inspection which is done by the French police. Since no official veterinarian is available for inspection, the driving time, the safety measures of the transporter and thus all the violations of EU 1/2005 that we detect, will be controlled and documented. Whether this results in a police case against the driver and the trader, is not known at this time.

The police accompanies the transport to its destination which is a supply point in Abbeville. According to the statement of the police, we must be present at the disload. Both the moribund calves die before reaching the destination.

We will send complaints to the competent authorities of the involved countries and the EU Commission and will continue to work to ensure that long-distance transports for unweaned calves are prohibited by law.