Today (14 June), Compassion in World Farming campaigners and supporters gathered at the port outside Brittany Ferries headquarters in Portsmouth, to call on the company to reverse its appalling decision made earlier this year to resume the inhumane live export of farmed animals from Ireland to France after a 30-year hiatus.

The event marked the tenth annual Ban Live Exports International Day [1] and was one of many global initiatives that took place in countries including Ireland, Australia and Ecuador. Events such as port gatherings, cinema screenings and marches to parliament were led by citizens and NGOs to raise awareness of the terrible conditions faced by millions of farmed animals each year, on long and sometimes fatal sea journeys. Extreme conditions and immense suffering like overcrowding, exhaustion, dehydration, pain, and stress continue to be endured by farmed animals – including calves, sheep, goats and pigs – often with little or no legal welfare protection.

In May 2024, live exports were finally banned from Great Britain, yet despite this, Brittany Ferries, which operates from British shores, has chosen to resume profiting from this unethical income stream.

Brittany Ferries now joins competitors, Irish Ferries and Stena Line, which continue to facilitate live animal exports including the transportation of very young and vulnerable unweaned calves that are just a few weeks old, breaching EU regulation. [2] P&O, however, continues to refuse to export live farm animals for fattening and slaughter.

Peaceful protesters gathered close to an advertising billboard which read ‘Brittany Ferries: Stop the Cruelty’, to raise awareness to Brittany Ferries’ passengers, staff and passers-by, that the company transports live animals for fattening and slaughter, not far from British shores.

Thirty years ago, Brittany Ferries announced its widely celebrated decision to stop carrying farmed animals from Britain to mainland Europe, due to the suffering it causes. This U-turn is exposing thousands of animals to tremendous suffering once again. To date, Brittany Ferries has failed to respond to an open letter signed by over 100 signatories from NGOs, thought leaders, celebrities and scientists which was sent in March 2025.

Anthony Field, Head of Compassion in World Farming UK, said:

This Ban Live Exports International Awareness Day we are raising awareness of the scale and impact of these cruel journeys by sea and sending a clear message to the companies that profit from this misery - it is totally unacceptable.

As the holiday season approaches, we want to make Brittany Ferries’ customers aware of the suffering that animals onboard its ships are subjected to and urge them to avoid travelling with the companies that profit from this appalling trade.

~ends~

For more information please email media.team@ciwf.org or call +44 (0)1483 521 615

Images can be downloaded here.

Notes to Editors:

1. Ban Live Exports International Awareness Day was first launched by Compassion in 2016, to mark the anniversary of 13,000 sheep tragically lost their lives during a long sea journey from Romania to Somalia. Every year, millions of live animals – including calves, sheep and pigs – are transported by road, rail, sea or air across continents on journeys lasting, sometimes, weeks. They often endure horrific conditions such as overcrowding and extreme temperatures causing enormous pain, distress and even death. Scientific evidence shows that animals may suffer extremes of temperature and are often deprived of sufficient rest, food or water. In May 2024 live animal exports were banned from Britain, but ferry companies, like Bittany Ferries which operate from British ports, continue to profit from this cruel trade.

2. This year alone, over 140,000 unweaned calves, under six weeks old, have been exported from Rosslare, Ireland, to Cherbourg in France via Stena Line, Irish Ferries and Brittany Ferries. - the majority bound for veal farms. By EU law, these young and vulnerable animals, having been separated from their mothers, must be fed milk replacer but this is not possible on such a long sea crossing. A recent EU Commission report (2025) acknowledges that the transport of these unweaned calves is a welfare failure stating “calves are not fed at the required intervals”. This follows the Commission’s 2023 audit which in its view: “…the transport of unweaned calves from Ireland to France is being carried out in breach of Council Regulation 1/2005 on the protection of animals during transport.” Today a complaint has been submitted by CIWF France on behalf of over 100 global NGOs to the EU Parliament calling for urgent action to stop the unacceptable 18-hour sea journeys endured by unweaned calves from Ireland to France – which the European Commission has recognised is in breach of current transport regulations.

Peaceful protesters urge Brittany Ferries to halt its cruel live export trade