A number of animal welfare groups have issued Irish Ferries, the operator of the Dublin to Cherbourg, France, route, with a legal notice.
The groups allege breaches of animal welfare legislation in the transportation of unweaned calves from Ireland to France on the direct connection from the capital to mainland continental Europe.
The legal notice, which was sent on behalf of Compassion in World Farming (CIWF) France, Welfarm and Quatre Pattes (Four Paws France), alleges that current transport practices fail to meet EU regulations regarding feeding requirements.
Currently, Irish Ferries is the only ferry firm facilitating the export of live-animal transports from Ireland to France, with the crossing taking between 17 and 19 hours, depending on the ferry.
Stena Line last year ceased such transports following a sustained campaign by animal welfare groups. However, the company closed its Rosslare-Cherbourg service on this date a year ago, and this was recently recalled with a call to Cherbourg on the Cotentin peninsula. (See related story of named ropax) berthed at its Normandy homeport.
As such, Brittany Ferries is the only company connecting the ports in Wexford to Normandy, but earlier this month stopped live-animal transports between Ireland and France.
The animal welfare groups claim that unweaned calves transported from Ireland to France can be on board and without food for more than 24 hours, which they allege breaches EU animal welfare rules.
The groups also claim that prolonged periods without feeding can result in calves becoming weak and suffering from dehydration and hypoglycaemia, and that animals can die during transport.
The legal notice, seen by RTÉ News, states that Irish Ferries is being given 15 days to "cease the transport of unweaned calves from Ireland to the port of Cherbourg, or ... to suspend those operations until such time as their compliance with Regulation 1/2005 (which provides for sufficient rest periods) is established."
Much more can be read here on the development involving the animal welfare groups and Irish Ferries, whose parent company is Dublin-based Irish Continental Group (ICG).
