More than 850 cows that spent months aboard a ship that wandered the Mediterranean are no longer fit for transport and must be killed, according to a confidential report from veterinarians in the Spanish government.
The cows were kept in what an animal rights activist called “hellish” conditions at Karim Allah, which docked in the Spanish port of Cartagena on Thursday after fighting for two months to find a buyer for the cattle.
The animals were rejected by several countries for fear that they had the bovine blue tongue virus. The insect-borne virus causes lameness and bleeding in cattle. The blue tongue does not affect humans.
The vets’ report, which was seen by Reuters, concluded that the animals suffered from the long journey. Some of them were sick and could not be transported outside the European Union, nor should they be allowed to enter the EU. Euthanasia would be the best solution for your health and well-being, he said.
The report did not say whether the cattle had blue tongue disease.
“It is not even mentioned, which is very surprising,” said Miquel Masramon, a lawyer representing the ship owner Talia Shipping Line. The ship is registered in Lebanon, according to VesselFinder.
“My impression is that they will certainly move on with the slaughter and destruction of animals and it will be difficult for us to avoid it,” he said.
Masramon said he would push for the return of blood samples taken from the animals and seized by authorities on Thursday to be released and tested “to prove if there is a blue tongue fever”.
The agriculture ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment. He said on Friday that he would make the appropriate decisions after reviewing the inspection information.
The ship originally left Cartagena to deliver the cattle to Turkey. But local authorities blocked the shipment and suspended imports of live animals from Spain, fearing the infection of the blue tongue.
This rejection turned the ship into an international outcast. Several countries have even refused entry to replace animal feed, forcing cows to spend several days on water alone.
Cows are likely to have serious health problems after the “infernal” crossing, said animal rights activist Silvia Barquero, director of the NGO Igualdad Animal.
“What happened to the waste produced by all these animals over two months? We are sure that they are in unacceptable sanitary conditions, ”Barquero told Reuters.
Ministry experts counted 864 live animals on board. Twenty-two cows died at sea, with two corpses still on board. The remains of others who died were stung and thrown into the sea during the voyage, the report said.
Cattle ownership was unclear. The exporter, World Trade, said he was not responsible because he sold the animals, Masramon said. Reuters was unable to contact World Trade for comment.
A second vessel, the ElBeik, also sailed from Spain in December with a cargo of almost 1,800 cows. Currently, it is anchored off the Turkish-Cypriot port of Famagusta.