‘Ferry firms can’t bow to pressure on calf exports’
Ferry companies cannot bow to pressure from animal rights groups over the live export of calves, Fianna Fáil MEP Billy Kelleher has said.
Ethical Farming Ireland has written to Stena Line and Irish Ferries, highlighting recent EU reports on calf exports and its opposition to the practice.
It urged the companies to “take the moral high ground” and stop allowing the export of calves “on your accord rather than become embroiled in messy legal battles”.
Late last year, the European Commission announced its latest proposal on the transportation of animals, including a recommendation that calves must be at least five weeks old before transportation and restrictions on journey lengths.
Kelleher told the Farming Independent
he hoped the government would continue to defend robust access to the single market for calves.
“Our difficulty is the 18-hour journey time on ferries going from Rosslare to France,” he said.
“I believe with modern technology, feeding systems, temperature control and ability to increase the age at which calves are transported and veterinary oversight, we can still ensure the integrity and welfare of animals during transport, particularly the unweaned calf.
“There is a strong market there for them, and we have to be able to move them off the island for the foreseeable future.
“I know the move to sexed semen will potentially reduce the number of calves in the years ahead, but in the here and now, we still need to be able to access the markets in Europe.
Referring to the pressures being put on ferry companies over the trade, Kelleher said: “What is lawful to be transported in Europe, must be transported in Europe.
“We can’t have a situation where ferry companies could be deciding what they transport and what they don’t transport. That would clearly be very detrimental to the integrity of Ireland’s ability to access the single market.”
In a bid to reduce the sector’s dependence on live exports, the Department of Agriculture in recent weeks launched a consultation on a draft Action Plan to support dairy calf beef systems on farms.
A new ten-point action plan, being prepared in consultation with the dairy and beef sectors, will emphasise the importance of dairy farmers breeding better quality stock through the use of sexed semen and the dairy beef index and beef farmers sourcing calves based on the Commercial Beef Value.