Around 2,900 female cows, including 1,400 pregnant animals, will be trapped at sea for almost three months after Turkey refused to accept them.
The livestock ship Spiridon II, which has now been at sea for 57 days, will return to Uruguay. This adds another 30 days to the animals’ journey.
No official details have been released about whether the ship will stop for feed, water, or medical care during the month-long return journey.
The Spiridon II departed Montevideo, Uruguay, on September 20 with 2,901 female cows on board. After almost a month at sea, it arrived in Bandırma, Turkey, on October 22.
But Turkish officials denied entry due to issues because there were no documents for 469 animals. Even though an estimated 2,400 cows had valid documentation, Turkey refused to allow any animals off the ship.
Since October 22, the ship has been floating off the Turkish coast. With no other country stepping in to take the animals, the Uruguayan exporter Ganosan Livestock has now decided to send the ship back across the Atlantic.
The cows are expected to arrive in Uruguay around December 14, a total of 87 days after they first left port.
Animal welfare crisis at sea
Animal welfare organizations warn that the return trip will intensify what is already a major animal welfare crisis. The cows, many of them pregnant or sick, have spent nearly two months in overcrowded, unsanitary, and dangerous conditions on the boat.
Spiridon II is a 52-year-old ship originally built to carry vehicles.
“These vessels are not prepared to transport animals. And these animals have already been on this vessel for too many days,” veterinarian Maria Boada told The Animal Reader on Monday. They had already been too long at sea. Now a month will be added to their suffering.
On board, cows are standing in their own waste. The air is thick with ammonia, and the ship is reportedly overheated and poorly ventilated.
Calves born on ship
At least 58 animals are already confirmed dead. At least 140 cows gave birth on board. 50 calves were observed; however, the whereabouts of the other 90 are unknown.
“Live newborns have a really difficult time, and this is awful for the crew too”, veterinarian and live animal transport expert Lynn Simpson said. “Often, the cow will have her calf with little notice and will often be in the full-density pen with many other cattle. That means that the newborn is easily stepped on and injured or killed.”
Animal rights organizations have described the Spiridon II as both an animal cruelty emergency and a biosecurity risk. They have urged the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) to intervene.
Decomposing carcasses, spreading waste, and poor hygiene could pose long-term health and environmental risks, they warn.
The ship, which sails under a Togo flag and is managed by a Honduras-based company, has a history of violations. Since 2019, it has been cited for 167 safety and animal welfare deficiencies.
As the cows now begin another month aboard the vessel, their suffering is expected to continue. And there is no guarantee of who will survive the journey home.
It is also unclear what will happen to the animals once they arrive in Uruguay. Ganosan Livestock, a commercial exporter, may choose to resell them and ship them to another country.
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