2022 saw us coming out of the pandemic and things slowly started getting back to normal. Here is an overview of our activities and achievements across the year.
January – March: Non-EU export grows, welfare breaches, and calf export investigation
Unfortunately live export increased in 2022, both in terms of calf export and sea journeys outside the EU. New markets also came onto the scene with two shipments going to Jordan and Egypt, and a trade deal was agreed with Israel for cattle. Export also resumed to Turkey, with two shipments going ahead at the end of the year. And for the first time since we’ve been monitoring shipments, 305 sheep were exported to Libya. Eleven shipments in total left Ireland.
Working with Eyes on Animals and L214 on Irish calf exports
January – a video was put together by L214, Eyes on Animals and EFI highlighting the Irish calf export trade and continuous breaches of EU law: https://youtu.be/ByEy3pDuzos It was sent to every MEP before a vote on recommendations made by the ANIT committee into the long distance transport of animals, including a ban on the export of unweaned animals under 35 days and a limit to 2 hours travel for unweaned animals over 35 days. Unfortunately this did not get through. Instead it was recommended that the age be increased from 14 to 28 days. While on the face of it this may seem like an improvement, at 28 days a calf is still unweaned and dependent on milk, and their immune system is still not fully developed.
EFI sent a joint letter to the EU’s Director General Sante with CIWF, Eurogroup4Animals, Animals International, AWF, Four Paws and Animals Angels. It was a report outlining the numerous ways Regulation 1/2005 on the protection of animals during transport is not enforced and where improvements could be made. Obviously we want the trade banned, but until it is changes must be made on the enforcement of the Regulation.
Response from EU Commission
February – a reply was finally received from the EU Commission in response to a formal complaint submitted by EFI in March 2021 in relation to the export of unweaned calves which is being conducted in breach of EC Regulation 1/2005 on the protection of animals during transport.
The Commission did not uphold the complaint because they said no evidence was provided that the calves are not fed. The response stated ‘Fully appreciating that the feeding of calves while on board of roll-on-roll-off ferries can pose challenges and be considered technically difficult, we would like to inform you that the Commission services have been in contact with the Irish authorities in view of addressing the animal welfare challenges related to this type of transport. In this regard, the Irish authorities have committed to inform the Commission about the concrete actions taken to mitigate the welfare risks while transporting unweaned calves.’ The letter also stated the Commission would be conducting an audit in 2022. We will follow up on this.
Cork: Calf export mart to ferry investigation
March – on 2nd March EFI director Caroline Rowley, MEP Anja Hazekamp and Lesley Moffat, director of Eyes on Animals, conducted a three day investigation into calf export, starting at the marts and ending at Rosslare port.
The investigation revealed that unweaned calves going for export through marts are only getting one feed in a 50 hour period. This is in addition to the calves having to deal with the stress of staying overnight at a mart before embarking on a long and highly stressful journey. They are as young as 15 days old.
The findings were compiled into a report, along with video footage, and sent to the authorities, farming groups, veterinary groups, TDs and MEPs.
You can read about it here: https://www.ethicalfarmingireland.com/2022/03/27/investigation-into-the-export-of-unweaned-calves-to-mainland-europe/
June – November: PFG commitments, protests, and court proceedings against state
June – following the first shipment of cattle to Jordan, a letter was compiled stating that commitments made in the programme for government have not been honoured.
There has been no increase in veterinary presence on the ships, as promised, and alternatives to live export have not been explored. In fact the opposite is true with new markets for live cattle being sought.
The letter was sent to every TD, Senator and Irish MEP outlining regulation breaches and issues relating to sea journeys outside the EU and 255 EFI members and supporters added their name.
You can read more about it here and there is a link to the letter: https://www.ethicalfarmingireland.com/2022/05/31/government-fail-to-honour-live-export-commitments/
Live Export International Awareness Day
June – This year we marked Live Export International Awareness Day with a protest at Rosslare Port rather than our usual spot in Dublin. We picked Rosslare because it’s where Stena Line regularly exports young calves to France.
Calves exported via Stena Line (and Irish Ferries from Dublin) are denied food for up to 30 hours because it’s impossible to feed them en route. Despite violating EU Regulation 1/2005 regarding animal welfare during transit, Stena Line and Irish Ferries continues to profit from the live export trade.
We combined the protest with an online event for those who couldn’t attend. A compilation video of the event can be viewed here: https://youtu.be/TEy35IFUzmk
July – director Caroline Rowley was invited to join a discussion on live export with Ivan Yates, on his programme Yates Debates on the Agri Insider – an agricultural streaming platform.
Other attendees were MEP Billy Kelleher (a dairy farmer) and dairy farmer and former Animal Health Ireland Chair Michael Magan (who sells his calves to exporters) so it was somewhat one sided. It wasn’t aired until December. Watch FREE here:
High Court challenge against the Minister for Agriculture and State
July – by far the greatest achievement of the year was the initiation of court proceedings against the State in relation to calf export. EFI has been working on this for some time, after approaching the Voluntary Assistance Scheme at the Bar of Ireland in 2020 to see if they would take on the case.
It is unusual for VAS to take on work for an organisation that is not a registered charity, which indicates their belief that the case is legitimate and of significance. On 18th July EFI brought a High Court challenge against the Minister for Agriculture and the State. There was a second hearing on 2nd November where The Court formally approved the following timeline:
- 30 January 2023 – deadline for the State to come back with it’s opposition statement. That’s when the work really starts!
- 27 February 2023 – deadline for us to reply.
It’s a long process but we feel that the authorities and industry know that their days are numbered!
August – EFI assisted Noteworthy in an investigation into the live export industry throughout 2021 and the first half of 2022 and on 31st August the first of three extensive articles was published. If you haven’t seen them they are well worth a read. They include some pretty shocking claims by the authorities and the industry! https://www.noteworthy.ie/trade-off/news
Open letter raises concerns over slaughter methods
November – EFI joined forces with CIWF, Eyes on Animals and Animals International. An open letter was sent to Minister McConalogue in November outlining concerns over shipments and slaughter methods in the destination countries, including video footage of a slaughterhouse in Lebanon and Jordan where evidence of Irish cattle was found.
The letter was also sent to every TD, Irish MEP, farming and veterinary group and other stakeholders as well as numerous journalists and news outlets. A video was also published including footage of Irish cattle loading at a port, arriving in Turkey and in a slaughter house in Lebanon.
Animals International also put together a petition to send a message to McConalogue. Details can be found here along with a link to the letter. https://www.ethicalfarmingireland.com/2022/11/22/efi-joins-ngos-in-open-letter-to-minister/
Numerous formal complaints were sent to the Minister throughout the year in relation to sea journeys: vessels leaving in stormy conditions, vessels travelling in high temperatures, non-compliance with licencing and other issues with documentation and paperwork. As usual no response other than an acknowledgement has been received.
Pig Aware Ireland billboard campaign
EFI started a Go Fund Me in 2021 for a pig campaign called Pig Aware Ireland, a collaboration between Ethical Farming Ireland and My Lovely Pig Rescue.
We secured enough funds for a billboard campaign that was launched with the first billboard going up in Dublin on 31st January. There were two designs to raise awareness of the plight of fattening pigs and breeding sows in Ireland.
A total of 15 billboards went up in Cork, Dublin, Galway, Westmeath, Mayo and Louth. The campaign got a write up in Agriland: https://www.agriland.ie/farming-news/ethical-farming-ireland-launches-new-pig-awareness-campaign/ It also got a mention in the Irish Daily Star.
We have also been running a series of social media posts to raise awareness of the reality behind the intensive pig industry which has angered an intensive pig farmer to the extent that EFI received a cease and desist letter from a solicitor, but we will not be silenced!
Ethical Farming Ireland joins the Aquatic Animal Alliance
In September we were invited to join the Aquatic Animal Alliance – a coalition of more than one hundred animal welfare NGOs created by the Aquatic Life Institute (including Action for Dolphins, CIWF, L214, Sentient Media and Viva!) who have come together to set welfare standards for aquatic animals as high as possible.
There are plans for a 22 open cage salmon farm off Cleggan Head, County Galway, and we will be working with the AAA to log an objection and start an information awareness campaign. We already have more than enough salmon farms, with huge environmental and welfare issues. We certainly don’t need more of them.
Group meeting
We had our first face to face EFI meeting in October, which turned into more of a meet and greet than strategic discussion. It was great to catch up with some old faces and meet some new.
We have also had our first leaflets published – thank you so much Natalie for your stellar work! We have three leaflets so far – live export, the pig campaign and a general info.
EPA Submissions
Finally to end the year, EFI made a number of submissions to the Environment and Protection Agency in relation to the shocking revelation that a number of licence applications for intensive pig and poultry units have been approved this year and a number are pending.
This is the opposite direction that we should be going in and to make it worse there is a pig payment scheme running where farmers are being paid up to €100K to reduce a nominated herd by 10% (some farmers have more than one herd.) It’s a bit like applying the brakes with one foot and the accelerator with the other. Aside from all the welfare issues, how will we meet our reduction targets?
This came to light following a Noteworthy investigation that you can read here: https://www.noteworthy.ie/factory-farm-epa-applications-5941942-Dec2022/ Director Caroline Rowley was invited to speak on the Pat Kenny show following this article. A submission was made for each of the 29 pig and poultry units. You can listen back here: https://www.newstalk.com/podcasts/highlights-from-the-pat-kenny-show/are-we-heading-down-a-path-of-increased-intensive-farming
I would like to say a big THANK YOU to all of you for sharing, emailing, donating, protesting and caring. We will bring about change, plenty to do in 2023!
Caroline Rowley, EFI Founder & Director
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