This is a terrifying soap opera that takes place on the high seas. A cargo ship carrying 2,900 cattle from Uruguay for two months, turned away in Turkey, has landed some of the cattle in Libya, the Animal Welfare Foundation said Monday, which is concerned about the possible dumping of bodies at sea and called for an international investigation.
The cargo ship “Spiridon II”, half carrying pregnant cows, was stuck for a month off the coast of Bandirma (western Turkey), due to the lack of appropriate health and commercial certificates.
Although it was supposed to return to Montevideo, it was diverted to Benghazi, in eastern Libya, according to the NGO Animal Welfare Foundation (AWF) and Robin des Bois based on satellite imagery.
Dozens of livestock died on the ship
Trucks carrying animals were seen leaving a Libyan port on Sunday, the foundation said, citing sources on the scene, where “at least some of the 3,000 animals were unloaded in Libya – a country with no effective controls on animal welfare and transportation.” Authorities in Benghazi have not provided any information.
According to the Foundation, the ship, which caused at least dozens of livestock to die, returned to the sea on Monday, without knowing whether it was still carrying animals, and cut off its signal, with the aim “to avoid inspection”.
None of the announced destinations – Lebanon and Egypt – could be verified, the organization said.
The loss of signal for three days last week raised questions, in particular about the possible dumping of dead animals, mud and waste accumulated over two months into the sea, which is a “clear violation of the international agreement on the protection of the Marpol sea”.
“One of the most serious violations” of animal welfare
The NGO also cited satellite images showing the bridge empty, without the large white bags seen previously and thought to contain bodies.
“We are witnessing one of the most serious violations of marine protection and animal welfare recorded in recent years – and yet another example of structural failure in the transport of live animals by sea,” commented Maria Boada Saña, AWF veterinarian.
The foundation called for an “urgent” investigation by the World Animal Health Organization and the International Maritime Organization, with veterinary inspections (on the ship or in Libya), and an investigation into possible violations of the Marpol agreement. The treaty also calls for a ban on the transport of live animals on the high seas.
