Dutch to Fine Irish Carriers Transporting Unweaned Calves
Transporters will get warnings first, then fines up to €27,000 for repeat breaches after claims unweaned calves are left unfed on sea crossings.
- The Dutch Food and Safety Authority announced it will impose fines on four Irish carriers transporting unweaned calves to the Netherlands, citing claims that animals are not fed during sea crossings.
- Animal welfare advocates have argued that unweaned calves traveling from Ireland to France can go over 24 hours without food, breaching European Food Safety Authority guidance limiting feeding intervals to 12 hours.
- Ethologist and Director of Eyes on Animals Lesley Moffat documented that calves barely three weeks old were left without milk for more than 30 hours, noting trucks lack suitable feeding systems for individual calf assistance.
- Irish transporters will receive a 12-month warning to find more humane practices; if they fail to comply, fines start at €3,000 per violation, rising to €27,000 for a fourth offense.
- The Dutch veal sector, including VanDrie Group, targets ending Irish calf imports by 2028, while the ICMSA stated it is "studying the announcement and its implications and will comment in due course.
12 Articles
12 Articles
Dutch regulator acts against Irish companies over welfare concerns in calf transports
The Dutch Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA) has decided to take action against Irish companies importing very young calves from Ireland. According to the Dutch regulator, these young animals receive hardly any fluids during transport trips that last several days, which violates the European Union’s animal rights regulations, NOS reports.
Reformatorisch Dagblad
The Dutch Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA) is imposing fines on four Irish livestock transporters if they do not stop transporting calves without providing them with adequate food during the journey within one year. The calves are approximately three weeks old when transported and are allowed to go without milk for eight hours, but in practice, they go without food for much longer, a spokesperson says. "The Irish livestock trans…
The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA) is taking action against the import of very young calves from Ireland. The animals are currently given hardly anything to drink during a journey lasting several days, which is in violation of the rules, the authority states. If conditions do not improve significantly, the transports must eventually cease. The Dutch veal sector itself previously indicated that it wanted to stop tr…
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