CARTAGENA, KOMPAS.com – Secret reports from Spanish government veterinarians ordering 850 head of cattle inside ship Karim Allah destroyed.
This is because hundreds of livestock, which spent months on a ship crossing the Mediterranean, were declared no longer fit for transport.
Animal rights activists also say the cows are being raised in dire conditions at Karim Allah.
The ship has been docked at the port of Cartagena in southeastern Spain since Thursday (25/2/2021) after struggling to find buyers for the cattle for the past two months.
The beast has been rejected by several countries. They are worried that the livestock on the ship will catch the virus bluetongue cow.
The virus is transmitted by insects and causes lameness and bleeding in cows. Bluetongue called do not affect humans.
The vet’s report concluded the animals were suffering from the long journey. Some were declared unhealthy and unfit for transport outside the European Union (EU). But that livestock also shouldn’t be allowed in the EU.
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Euthanasia would be the best solution for their health and well-being, according to the report Reuters on Saturday (27/2/2021).
The report did not say whether the cattle had any disease bluetongue.
“It (the virus) was not even mentioned, which is very surprising,” said Miquel Masramon, a lawyer representing the owner of the Talia Shipping Line. The ship was registered in Lebanon, according to VesselFinder.
“I predict they will definitely continue to slaughter and destroy the animals and it will be difficult for us to prevent that,” he said.
Masramon said he would encourage the return of blood samples taken from animals and confiscated by the authorities on Thursday (25/2/2021). Then do a free test “to prove if there is bluetongue.”
The Spanish Ministry of Agriculture did not immediately respond to a request for comment. It was said earlier on Friday (26/2/2021) that they would make the right decision after analyzing the information from the inspection.
The ship originally left Cartagena to deliver livestock to Turkey. But authorities there blocked shipments and suspended imports of live animals from Spain, fearing infection bluetongue.
That refusal turned the ship into an international pariah. Some countries refuse entry to even replenish animal feed. As a result, the cows are forced to go for several days with only water.
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The cows are likely to have serious health problems after their “gruesome” crossing, said animal rights activist Silvia Barquero, director of the NGO Animal Igualdad.
“What happened to the waste that all these animals produced during these two months? We believe they are in an unacceptable sanitary condition,” Barquero told Reuters.
Ministry of Agriculture experts counted 864 live animals on board. A total of 22 cows died at sea, with two bodies still on board.
The remains of other dead animals were slaughtered and thrown overboard during the journey, the report said.
According to Masramon, livestock ownership is not clear. The exporter, World Trade, said it was not responsible for selling the animal. Reuters could not reach World Trade for comment.
The second ship, ElBeik, also sailed from Spain in December with a load of nearly 1,800 cows. Currently moored at the Turkish Cypriot port of Famagusta.
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