Facts About Irish Farm Animals - ANIMAL TRANSPORT

What does Compassion want?

Compassion wants all farm animals to be slaughtered as near as possible to the farm of rearing, with transport in the form of meat. Long journeys are stressful and tiring for animals, and in addition provide a conduit for the spread of disease. Live exports of animals for slaughter or further fattening are totally unneccessary when this trade could be in meat instead.

Compassion has been campaigning for an end to live exports from Ireland since our Irish office opened in 1992. During that time, national Irish legislation has been put in place to ensure that dedicated livestock ships for the carriage of cattle meet certain standards. EU law governing animal transport has been upgraded, but sadly there is still no total overall journey limit in place. From 2007, a new EU Regulation is in place. This lays down some provisions for improved enforcement of EU animal transport law. Lack of proper enforcement is an on-going problem, including for animals travelling from Ireland.

Compassion's campaign for an end to the EU subsidies ("refunds") that supported live cattle shipments from the EU, including from the Republic of Ireland, to North Africa and the Middle East ended in success. As a result, virtually all live cattle shipments from the Republic of Ireland to non-EU destinations have now stopped.

Destinations for Irish cattle and calves

Many Irish "weanlings" (full-grown, weaned calves) are transported to Italy and Spain for further fattening, mainly on feedlots. Also, many young calves, just a few weeks old, are transported to veal production units in the Netherlands.

In the past, there was a substancial trade in live cattle shipments from the Republic of Ireland to the Middle East and North Africa for slaughter. In recent years, cattle only went to the Lebanon. Since Compassion's campaign to end subsidies for this trade ended successfully in December 2005, live cattle shipments from the Republic of Ireland to non-EU destinations has virtually stopped.

The journeys

Irish animals travel to the Continent on roll-on, roll-off ferries to France (a sea-journey of around 19 hours). Some have travelled to the Continent via Britain on the "land-bridge" route. After arrival at a French port, the animals continue their journey by road to their destination. The law requires them to be given rest periods at certain intervals, during which the animals have to be unloaded and given food and water.

What laws govern live animal exports?

An EU Regulation* on the transport of animals (that came into force in 2007) lays down the rules throughout the EU (including Ireland). Adult cattle (and sheep) can travel for 28 hours with a 1 hour break on board the lorry in the middle of the journey. After this, they must be unloaded from the vehicle and given food, water and 24 hours rest. Alternatively, they can be unloaded and rested for 12 hours at a lairage in the vicinity of the port of arrival after travelling on a roll-on, roll-off ferry. The cycle of travel and rest can be repeated and there is no maximum overall journey limit.

*Council Regulation (EC) No. 1/2005 on the protection of animals during transport.

The welfare problems

Journeys to the Continent can be very lengthy. Animals can find travelling for long periods in livestock lorries stressful and tiring. The weather on the Continent may be very hot, making it uncomforable for the animals. Sometimes animals are not given the rest breaks that the law requires.

Calves transported to the Netherlands for veal production (see photo) are particularly poor travellers because they are only a few weeks old when they make this long journey. The stress of travel for these little calves makes them more prone to becoming ill, particularly in the weeks following transport.

What do vets think about long distance transport of animals?

Veterinary opinion is widely agreed that, in animal welfare terms, it is best to slaughter animals as near to the farm of rearing as possible and then transport meat. For example, the Federation of Veterinarians of Europe says: "... the long distance transportation of animals for slaughter should be replaced, as much as possible, by a carcass-only trade."

What now?

Compassion believes that animals for slaughter, either immediate or after a period of further fattening, should not be subjected to the stress of very long journeys. We want to see the live animal export trade throughout Europe and beyond stopped and replaced by a trade in meat. In this way, the animals' welfare can be best protected.

Whilst live animal exports continue, Compassion will do everything it can to ensure that all relevent laws are very strictly enforced. Where we find problems, such as transporters failing to give animals the required rest periods laid down in EU law, we will highlight these and put pressure on the Irish government and the European Commission to deal with these problems.