Calf export figures

Recent Parliamentary figures show that from 11 October, the number of young calves exported for production this year from the UK to mainland Europe is 43,358.

Dover shipment delays

Sad news reached CIWF on Tuesday 10 October: six truckloads of calves were due to sail from Dover for mainland Europe. But the boat was seriously delayed and some calves spent 15 hours on the docks stuck inside the lorries. One calf had to be humanely destroyed because it was suffering from extreme stress.

CIWF believes that any port handling live animals should have a place where they can be unloaded and given food and water (lairage). These calves were packed in the trucks, without food, just water – if they were able to get to the drinkers on the truck.

CIWF wrote to Ben Bradshaw alerting him to this incident in Dover and to ask that this situation is never allowed to happen again, Ben Bradshaw has promised a full investigation into this. We have also written to DEFRA complaining about the incident, to ensure that there should be lairage facilities in Dover, also to ascertain that if this happens again there will be somewhere for the animals to be unloaded, rested, given fluid and feed.

Dover shipments this week:

Tuesday 24 October, six transporters of calves sailed from Dover to Dunkerque at 4.15am. Shipment due out at midnight on Wednesday 25 October.

For further information please call KALE's news line on 01304 204688.