More than 850 cows possibly infected with bluetongue, which have been on board a ship in the Mediterranean Sea for two months, are being euthanized.
The livestock transport ship Karim Allah departed from Spain to Turkey on December 18 but was refused entry there. It is now being allowed to return. Along the way, 22 cows reportedly died; these were cut into pieces and thrown overboard.
Off the coast of Cyprus, there is another large livestock transport ship carrying nearly two thousand cattle. That shipment of Spanish cows is also being denied access to ports by other countries out of fear of bluetongue. It is unclear how many animals on that ship have died due to heat, exhaustion, and stress.
The Spanish Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food states that the animals left the country with health certificates. The cattle come from areas free of bluetongue.
Animal rights activists in various countries are now demanding veterinary inspection of the sick animals on board. The “Karim Allah,” carrying 900 cattle, was previously anchored off the coast of Sardinia. In Cyprus, an animal welfare organization has called on the government to take measures to save the sick animals.
Luxembourg Europarliamentarian Tilly Metz, chair of the European Parliament’s inquiry committee on animal transports, said this is “once again a scandal in the transport of live animals by ship.”
According to Metz, the biggest problem is a legal loophole. The time the cattle spend on the ship is considered “rest time” rather than “transport time.” This means there is no limit on the number of hours the animals may be on these ships: it can last days, weeks, or even months, Metz said.