Around 3,000 cows from Uruguay were held for three weeks on a cargo ship off the coast of Turkey due to a lack of proper health and commercial certificates, Turkish authorities said on Wednesday. The cargo ship Spiridon II, which left Montevideo on September 19, has been anchored at Bandirma port in western Turkey since October 21, Turkish government media told AFP on Wednesday.
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At least 48 animals have died after more than 50 days at sea, according to Turkish NGOs and media outlets.
“On October 21, an import application was submitted to the Bandirma Port Veterinary Checkpoint on behalf of 15 companies requesting the entry of 2,901 cattle from Uruguay,” the government said in a statement. “Upon inspection, it was determined that some of the animals were not equipped with identifying ear tags or electronic microchips, and 469 animals did not match the list provided. Due to these irregularities, the shipment was refused entry and the word ‘rejected’ was added to the defective certificates of 15 animals.”
This decision was communicated to customs authorities on October 23rd. NGOs say the cow, whose health has been deteriorating, has remained trapped on board the ship since it left Uruguay on September 19, underscoring the dire situation on the ship. As of last week, 48 animals had already died, according to the Animal Welfare Foundation (AWF), which is calling for their immediate removal.
“No animals, living or dead, were observed disembarking. This means approximately 3,000 animals remained on board for 53 days,” the foundation said on its website.
The cargo was destined for markets in the Middle East, including Turkiye and Israel, according to the Asian Women’s Fund and French NGO Robin de Bois. The ship temporarily docked at Bandirma port on Sunday to load straw and feed, the Asian Women’s Fund said. Turkish media, including the website HarberDenizde, reported a strange odor coming from the ship.
The exporter has challenged the Turkish Veterinary Authority’s decision and initiated legal action, the government said. NGO Robin de Bois stresses that the old Russian cargo ship Spiridon II, which was converted into a livestock ship in 2011, is 52 years old and “should have been decommissioned at least 20 years ago.” The vessel is sailing under the Togolese flag and the operator is registered in Honduras.
The NGO pointed out that “Togo is on the flag state blacklist of the Paris Memorandum on Port State Control for Ships,” an international agreement aimed at improving maritime security and governance.
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