A livestock carrier transporting 2,901 cattle from Uruguay has been stranded off the Turkish coast for over two weeks after authorities refused permission to unload the animals due to irregularities in their ear-tag documentation.

The vessel Spiridon II has been anchored off the port of Bandırma since 22 October after officials from Turkey’s Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry found that around 500 ear tags did not match the documents. Due to this, the ship was denied port entry and ordered to remain offshore.

According to the vessel’s owner, 48 cattle have died since arrival, and the remaining animals are now facing shortages of feed, water, and bedding. The owner has requested permission to return to port on Saturday, 8 November, to load hay, feed, and water.

Animal welfare organisations, including the Animal Welfare Foundation (AWF), Animal Advocacy and Food Transition, Animals International, and Animal Save Movement Türkiye, have urged Turkish authorities to authorise the immediate unloading of the surviving cattle, warning that continued delays could cause severe suffering.

A veterinarian from AWF, Dr Maria Boada Saña, said the cattle were exhausted and dehydrated after such a long voyage and in urgent need of care.

Burada beyaz bir nokta gibi görünen konumda Spiridon II adlı gemi var.
İçinde 2901 hayvan vardı, 48’i öldü…
Geminin “yük”ünün boşaltılmasına izin verilmediği için açıkta bekliyor.
50 gündür kendi pisliğinde yaşamaya çalışan 2853 aç ve susuz hayvan o beyaz nokta. pic.twitter.com/vuyiR54IQA

— Animal Save Türkiye (@AnimalSaveTR) November 8, 2025

Australian veterinarian Dr Lynn Simpson, who has served on more than 50 live-export voyages, cautioned that the situation could become “catastrophic” if the delay continues, adding that provisions of fodder, bedding and fresh water were likely very low or of poor quality after the extended time at sea.

Animal Save Movement Türkiye said that at least 48 animals had died “due to thirst, hunger, and lack of hygiene.” Activists told local media they feared the vessel may have sailed further into the Marmara Sea to dispose of the carcasses, though this has not been confirmed.

A member of Animal Save Türkiye said the ship had been held in port for 16 days before being anchored in open waters, where rough weather has prevented boats from approaching. The activist added that the ship appeared closed for days, suggesting the animals had been hungry and dehydrated for some time.

The Spiridon II is an ageing vessel, built in 1973 and converted into a livestock carrier in 2011. It is registered in Togo and managed from Lebanon. In 2022, the ship suffered an engine failure near Spain while carrying thousands of animals, which had to be transferred to another vessel.

Animal welfare organisations said the incident highlights the suffering caused by long-distance live animal transport. They urged authorities not only to allow the immediate unloading of the surviving cattle but also to reconsider the continuation of live animal imports by sea.

References: theanimalreader, conservativepost