Spiridon-Ii

The ' Spiridon II' has docked in Beirut on Nov 27. After leaving Turkey, and off the coast of Tunisia, the "Spiridon II" had switched off its tracking system and disappeared for three days. Then it reappeared in the opposite direction, in Benghazi. 2,700 animals were unloaded there. Officially, that was all of them. The grim toll: over 340 animals (including newborn calves) likely didn't survive the harrowing journey. What happened to them was unclear. It was suspected their bodies were dumped in the Mediterranean during the period of radio silence. A team of Animal Welfare located the farm in Libya where the Uruguayan cattle were presumably taken. However, due to the high walls and the dangerous location, they couldn't check on their condition. While they were still on site, the "Spiridon II" set sail again. The ship once again deactivated its tracking system and reappeared in Beirut on Nov 27. Since this wasn't the first time the ship had given incorrect information about its destination, a team was already there and documented the ship's arrival in Beirut. They were trying to determine whether there were indeed no animals left on board. However, it appeared that no cattle were unloaded. According to the Agriculture Ministry in Uruguay all animals have been unloaded before. Their fate was unknown but most likely many had to be killed after so many days in horrible conditions. For 66 days, nearly 3,000 cattle were trapped on the vessel, standing in their own filth without proper care, food, or relief. Many were heavily pregnant. Calves were born in overcrowded, filthy conditions, without assistance, without hope. Some newborns simply disappeared. Report with photos and video: https://www.animal-welfare-foundation.org/blog/spiridon-ii-mindestens-340-tote-tiere-die-ueberlebenden-in-libyen-ausgeladen

The 'Spiridon II', which had to return to Montevideo, upon reaching the Strait of Sicily, turned back again, this time bound for Libya. It docked on Nov 22 in the port of Benghazi, from where it departed on Nov 24, for the port of Alexandria. The ship had been able to load fodder on Nov 9 in the port of Bandirma after 23 days of quarantine. The 'Spiridon II' is a former Russian cargo ship, which was converted into a livestock carrier in 2011. It belongs to the Honduran-based company JMR Shipping. During the last year, 17 deficiencies were noted during three inspections of this ship in Greece and Lebanon.

The German animal welfare organization Animal Welfare Foundation feared that the remaining cattles aboard the 'Spiridon II' will not survive the return sailing to Montevideo with an ETA as of Dec 14. The animals have been standing in their own excrement for months, and the ammonia levels were extremely high, especially on the lower decks. About half of the 2,900 animals were pregnant. Miscarriages were expected to be likely under such stress, and it was highly improbable that newborn calves would survive in such a situation. Another problem was the lack of milking equipment on board and a crew not being trained for such situations. The cows whose calves have died will develop mastitis sooner or later. After the livestock carrier arrived on Oct 22 off the coast of the city of Bandirma in the Sea of ​​Marmara, 15 companies have applied to import the animals. However, because items such as chips or ear tags were missing and some animals did not match previously submitted lists, the application was rejected. Report with photos: https://www.animal-welfare-foundation.org/blog/tausende-rinder-auf-see-gefangen-schiff-spiridon-ii-vor-tuerkischer-kueste-festgesetzt

After animal advocacy groups have been raising the alarm over the situation aboard the 'Spiridon II', which was stranded off the Turkish coast for 24 days due to irregularities in paperwork, the ship got underway again. 58 cows have already died, with another 140 pregnant cows suffering miscarriage. The authorities had refused permission to unload the animals due to discrepancies in ear tag documentation. Rights groups called for the intervention of the European Union. The cattle carrier was anchored off Bandirma, having left Montevideo on Sep 19, loaded with 2,901 animals and arriving on Oct 22. As of the morning of Nov 15, the vessel was finally under way again, making 10 knots and declaring her destination as Montevideo again.  According to the rights groups, the animals have endured stress, hunger and exhaustion resulting in the deaths of 58 cows. Observers have counted 50 newborn calves on board, but 90 more remain unaccounted for, meaning their fate could not be determined. Local residents have begun to complain of odors. Animal rights activists were concerned that the animals have been deprived of adequate fodder, bedding, and potable water and are being forced to endure heat stress, dehydration and fatigue. The Animal Advocacy & Food Transition (AAFT), together with Animal Welfare Foundation, Animals International and livestock shipping expert and veterinarian Dr. Lynn Simpson demanded EU authorities’ intervention. The groups sent letters to both the European Commission and the World Organization for Animal Health to push Turkish authorities to allow the unloading of the animals. The fact that Turkey is not a member of the bloc means the EU lacks jurisdictional powers to force the unloading. Report with photos: https://www.animal-welfare-foundation.org/blog/das-horror-schiff-kehrt-zurueck-spiridon-ii-auf-todeskurs-nach-uruguay

The Animal Welfare Foundation is calling attention to the situation aboard the 'Spiridon II', which has been at sea since Sep 20 with an initial load of 2,901 cattle. After reaching Turkey on Oct 22, the vessel was stopped from unloading after the Turks found irregularities in the paperwork, including a mismatch between the papers and the animal’s tags. The ship was briefly permitted to dock to load additional supplies, but set sail again on Nov 14, reporting the cargo was being returned to Montevideo, where it was expected on December 14. The Animal Welfare Foundation has been tracking the vessel and reported that it has gone dark on several occasions in the past few days. The ship turned up off the coast of Tunisia and then arrived in Benghazi on Nov 22. Eyewitnesses and satellite images showed trucks at the vessel, and loaded animal transporters were seen leaving the port area on Nov 23. It was unclear how many of the animals were offloaded and what the was is aboard the vessel. The AWF reported that the veterinarian who accompanied the animals on the trip from Uruguay left the ship in Turkey and speculated that the feed loaded in Turkey on Nov 9 was depleted. It was also unclear what has happened to the carcasses of the animals that died aboard. Veterinary authorities in Turkey had reported that at least 58 animals had died, and AWF feared that far more have died, as well as the pregnant cows that were aboard and due to give birth. The organisation assumed the dead animals were thrown overboard and that the sewage accumulated over two months was illegally discharged. They had noted white sacks on the deck of the vessel, which were missing when it reached Benghazi. Observers also did not notice any smell of manure or dead animals. The authorities were urged toimmediately clarify whether there were still animals on board, where the animals were being taken, and what happened during the signal shutdowns. The AWF called for an international investigation into the ship as well as a medical examination of any animals still onboard and also demanding an investigation into possible MARPOL violations. The 'Spiridon II' departed from Benghazi on Nov 24, reporting Alexandria as destination with an ETA as of Nov 27.The vessel had previously indicated a destination of Lebanon. The ship is managed from Lebanon and owned by a company in Honduras. Report with photo: https://www.animal-welfare-foundation.org/blog/spiridon-ii-entlaedt-tiere-in-der-libyschen-stadt-bengasi