More than 850 cows that spent months aboard a ship wandering through the Mediterranean are no longer fit for transport and must be killed, according to a confidential report by Spanish government veterinarians.
The cows were kept in an animal rights activist ‘hellish’ conditions on the Karim Allah, which was captured in the southeastern Spanish port of Cartagena on Thursday after struggling for two months to find a buyer for the cattle.
The animals have been rejected by several countries for fear of having bovine bluetongue virus. The insect-borne virus causes lameness and bleeding in cattle. Bluetongue has no effect on humans.
The veterinarian’s report, seen by Reuters, concluded that the animals had suffered during the long journey. Some of them were bad and not suitable for transport outside the European Union, and they may not be allowed inside the EU either. Euthanasia would be the best solution for their health and well-being, he said.
The report did not say whether the cattle had bluetongue.
“It’s not even mentioned, which is very surprising,” said Miquel Masramon, a lawyer for shipowner Talia Shipping Line. According to VesselFinder, the ship was registered in Lebanon.
“My impression is that they will definitely continue with the slaughter and destruction of the animals, and it will be difficult to prevent that,” he said.
Masramon said he would work for the return of blood samples taken from the animals and which were shot by authorities on Thursday, to be released and tested “to prove there was bluetongue”.
The Ministry of Agriculture did not immediately respond to a request for comment. He said earlier Friday that he would make appropriate decisions after analyzing the information from the inspection.
The vessel originally left Cartagena to deliver the cattle to Turkey. But authorities there blocked the shipment and suspended live animal imports from Spain, for fear of bluetongue infection.
That rejection turned the ship into an international pariah. Several countries refused entry, not even to supplement animal feed, forcing the cows to go days with only water.
The cows are likely to have serious health problems after their “hellish” crossing, said animal rights activist Silvia Barquero, director of the Igualdad Animal NGO.
“What happened to the waste that all these animals produce in two months? “We are sure they are in unacceptable sanitary conditions,” Barquero told Reuters.
The ministry’s experts counted 864 animals on board alive. Twenty-two cows died at sea, with two more bodies on board. The remains of the others who died were chopped up and thrown overboard during the voyage, the report said.
The ownership of the cattle was unclear. The exporter, World Trade, said it was not responsible because he sold the animals, Masramon said. Reuters could not reach World Trade for comment.
A second ship, the ElBeik, also left Spain in December with a cargo of almost 1800 cows. It is currently moored at the Turkish Cypriot port of Famagusta.