The livestock carrier Spiridon II has unloaded cattle in the Libyan city of Benghazi after being stranded off the Turkish coast for more than a month after a month-long voyage from Uruguay with nearly 3,000 cattle on board.
The Spiridon II is now back at sea.
It is unclear what happened to the dead animals and sewage onboard. Dozens of animals had already died, and many calves had been born, lost, or perished. The dead animals and excrement cannot legally be disposed of in the Mediterranean Sea due to MARPOL regulations. Without the possibility of unloading, cleaning, or proper carcass disposal, extreme conditions are presumed to have prevailed on board for weeks, says Animal Welfare Foundation (AWF).
However, AWF reports that the vessel has turned its AIS several times, and the white sacks that were stacked on deck, presumably containing carcasses, appear to be gone by November 23.
Former live export veterinarian Dr Lynn Simpson has served on over 50 voyages out of Australia: "I believe the AIS is probably off so her erratic looking movements as she finally washes her decks thoroughly, go unmonitored. Washing should take 3-5 days, at which time I would not be surprised if her AIS comes back on. Every voyage I have been on in the Mediterranean has washed and dumped any bodies illegally due to sewage buildup and rate of decomposition. These acts are often done at night to evade detection."
“We are witnessing one of the most serious violations of animal welfare and marine conservation in recent years – and yet another example of the structural failure of the live animal trade by sea,” says Maria Boada Saña, veterinarian at AWF. “The authorities must now immediately clarify whether there are still animals on board, where the animals are being taken, and what happened during the signal shutdowns.”
The organization is calling for an immediate international investigation by World Organization for Animal Health and the IMO. It is also calling for an investigation into possible MARPOL violations and medical examination of all animals still alive, whether on board or already in Libya.
Timeline of events:
September 20, 2025: Departure of the Spiridon II from Uruguay with 2,901 cattle on board, about half of which are pregnant. A veterinarian is on board.
October 22, 2025: Arrival at the port of Bandırma in Türkiye.
October 23, 2025: According to court documents later published by a Turkish politician, the Bandırma veterinary authority inspects the animals and finds that the ear tags of 469 cattle are legible but not listed on the import lists. Türkiye then refuses to allow the animals to be unloaded. According to the veterinary authorities, 58 animals had already died during the journey. 140 pregnant heifers gave birth to calves en route. However, only 50 of these 140 calves could be found – the documents do not indicate whether they were dead or alive.
October-November 2025: The Spiridon II is stuck off the Turkish coast for weeks – with no possibility of unloading. The veterinarian who boarded the vessel in Uruguay leaves the vessel. On the vessel, the conditions in which the animals were kept are presumably getting worse by the day. More may have died. The dead animals and excrement cannot be disposed of in the Mediterranean Sea due to MARPOL regulations. This means that the animals could have been knee-deep in manure, and ammonia levels could have been high, especially on the lower decks.
November 9: Short-term docking to load feed and water. Unloading is still not permitted. Photos and videos show mountains of white sacks on the upper deck – presumably filled with dead cattle.
November 10: The vessel is anchored again.
November 14: The vessel sets sail and now states Montevideo (Uruguay) as its destination. Expected arrival is December 14.
November 18: When the vessel is off the coast of Tunisia, it switches off its AIS signal.
November 21: The vessel signal reappears. The Spiridon II has turned back and is now in Libya, off the port of Benghazi.
November 22: In the afternoon, the Spiridon II docks at the port of Benghazi. The AWF team hears about departing animal transporters from sources on site. A satellite image from November 23 shows trucks in front of the vessel.
November 24: The ship leaves Benghazi in the morning with a newly declared destination of Alexandria. A satellite image shows that there are no more sacks on deck. It is unclear whether there are still animals on board. The image shows that there is no more hay on deck, which could be an indication that the ship no longer has any animals on board.