The horror vessel returns – Spiridon II on a death course to Uruguay

The animals' suffering continues: after being stuck off the Turkish coast for weeks and not receiving permission to unload, the Spiridon II has now set course for Uruguay again. For the nearly 3,000 cattle on board – half of which are pregnant – this means another month crammed onto the ship. Food and water are scarce. Most, if not all, of the animals are unlikely to survive this ordeal. 

After a month-long voyage from Uruguay to Türkiye, the Spiridon II had been anchored off the Turkish coast since October 22 because the authorities refused to allow it to unload due to incorrect paperwork. It was only thanks to our intervention that the ship was allowed to dock briefly to reload food and water—but the animals still had to remain on board. 

What we learned about their condition is shocking: At least 58 cattle were already dead. In addition, the pregnant heifers had already given birth to over 140 calves. The Turkish authorities found 50 calves during an inspection – whether alive or dead remains unclear. There is no trace of the rest! 

Back to Uruguay

We spent days putting pressure on the authorities, informing the media worldwide, and trying to force a rescue. But on Friday evening, the ship tracker suddenly showed movement: the Spiridon II is heading back to Montevideo. Arrival: mid-December.

For the animals, this is a death sentence. “Most, if not all, of them will not survive this horrific voyage,” says our project manager and veterinarian Maria Boada Saña. It is unclear whether enough feed has been loaded. The situation is particularly dramatic for the many pregnant animals.

Experienced ship's veterinarian Lynn Simpson, who has accompanied almost 60 voyages, warns: “In such cramped and unhygienic conditions, miscarriages are almost inevitable. And even if a calf is born alive, it has little chance of survival.” If the calves die, the mothers are at risk of painful mastitis because they cannot be milked – and no one on board can treat them. This is because Uruguay does not require a veterinarian to be on board for such crossings – just like the EU. 

Dead bodies likely thrown overboard

After all this suffering, the dead animals face an undignified end: “Dead animals are often simply thrown overboard at sea,” says Maria Boada Saña. Once the ship reaches the Atlantic, it is virtually impossible to control what happens to the dead bodies. And it is practically impossible for the crew to keep the rotting bodies on board.

We continue to fight for the animals – and for the crew

The  Spiridon II will remain in the Mediterranean for about another week. As long as it is sailing through European waters, we will do everything we can to persuade the authorities of the coastal states to take action. They should stop the ship and put the animals out of their misery! 

According to a well-informed source familiar with the ship, the crew of the Spiridon II is also living in precarious conditions. The people on board are neither trained nor equipped to care for seriously ill or dying animals. They are faced with a task that no one can accomplish. They, too, must be freed from this situation—because they bear no responsibility for this unspeakable tragedy. 

The death of the cattle should not be in vain

We will not lose sight of these animals. Even if we can no longer change their fate, their story of suffering will carry weight—it will increase political pressure to finally make these brutal live animal transports a thing of the past.

Because this is not an unfortunate isolated case, but a failure of the entire system. As long as vessels loaded with animals cross the seas, such tragedies can happen at any time – on any ship, from any continent, including Europe.

That is why we strongly demand that live exports by sea be banned.