Livestock Carrier Stranded Off Turkish Coast as Activists Demand Action

Residents are complaining of odors, and animal rights groups are protesting the situation, as Turkish officials continue to deny the offloading of a livestock carrier for more than two weeks. Problems with the documents for the animals aboard have caused the ship to become stranded, while the owner of the vessel has warned that 48 animals have died and supplies are running out aboard the ship.

The vessel named Spiridon II loaded 2,901 cattle in Uruguay, departing on September 19. According to reports in the Turkish media, the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry inspected the cattle when the vessel arrived, but denied permission to land the animals because approximately 500 of the ear tags did not match documentation on the ship. The “irregularities” raised concerns over the animals, and the ship was denied permission to begin offloading.

Residents near the Bandirma Port in Turkey began to complain of foul odors and insects, including flies. Port officials responded by ordering the ship to transfer offshore to the anchorage where it has mostly remained for the past 10 days since arriving on October 22. The government said it was also ordering additional pesticide spraying in the city.

The Animal Welfare Foundation (AWF), together with Animal Advocacy and Food Transition, Animals International, and a livestock shipping expert and veterinarian, Dr. Lynn Simpson, are appealing to the Turkish authorities to urgently authorize the unloading of the surviving animals to prevent further suffering.

“These animals are trapped in desperate conditions,” said Dr. Maria Boada Saña, veterinarian at Animal Welfare Foundation. “After such a long journey, these cattle are exhausted, dehydrated, and in urgent need of care. Every additional day at sea means further suffering.”

Together with its partner organizations, the Animal Welfare Foundation is calling on the Turkish authorities to “prioritize the animals' survival over bureaucratic issues and order an immediate unloading.”

The vessel’s owner, according to the Ihlas News Agency, has asked for permission to bring the ship to the dock on November 8 for eight hours. They want to supply the ship with two trucks of hay, two trucks of feed, and water. There was no mention of the disposal of the dead animals, with some activists claiming the ship likely dumped them at sea.

Built in 1973, the 4,054-dwt vessel was converted to livestock in 2011. It is 97 meters (318 feet) in length and listed as having 4,000 square meters of space for animals. Its owners are listed as being in Honduras, with management of the vessel from Lebanon. The ship has been registered since 2018 in Togo.

It is not the first time the vessel has become involved in a situation. In June 2022, the Spiridon II was loaded with approximately 7,900 bulls and sheep when its engine failed off the coast of Spain. The ship reportedly is not permitted to offload or transport animals in the EU. After drifting, the vessel was towed to Greece, where the animals had to be transferred to another carrier while the vessels were at anchor outside the port.

Animal rights activists are citing this new situation as another example of why the global export of live animals must be stopped. They call the transport of animals at sea inhumane and have won bans from countries including Australia and New Zealand, although in early 2025, Argentina repealed a 52-year ban on the live export of cattle. One of the best-known operators of livestock carriers, Wellard, sold its last vessel and ended its export business at the beginning of 2025, with most of the vessels still in the trade being older, converted from other services, and run by smaller operators.