Updated March 16, 2021
After leaving Greek waters, the Elbeik sailed along the southern coast of Sicily and passed Sardinia. She was following a north-westerly course possibly back to Tarragona, her departure port on December 18. In the morning of March 14, she altered course and anchored off the south coast of Menorca island. She is still waiting for order. No new destination has been announced so far. It has been 89 days since the Elbeik, her 1776 calves and her crew have left Tarragona.
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Updated March 10, 2021
In the night of March 9 to10, shortly before midnight, the Elbeik left her Kalamata anchorage. She left the bay at dawn, then taking a westward course. Her speed is 9-10 knots but she does not precise her new destination.
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Updated March 9, 2021
During the night of March 8 to 9, the Elbeik changed course and anchored in front of the Kalamata Marina on the morning of March 9.
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You could believe to be transported back in 1988 to the glorious days of the Zanoobia and the Karin B when these cargo ships loaded with toxic waste produced by the European chemical industry and legitimately refused by the so-called recipient countries returned to the European Union to find a port of discharge.
See “Déchets du ” Karin B “, Toxiques mais classiques”, September 23, 1988, Le Marin. In French only.
The Elbeik’s journey in the Mediterranean, December 2020-March 8, 2021
The same ordeal is inflicted today on the Elbeik and her crew, except that they are not toxic barrels but live animals, initially 1,776 calves. The Elbeik left Tarragona in Spain on December 18, 2020, was refused in Turkey, Libya, Egypt, Cyprus and Piraeus in Greece, and yesterday announced that she was heading for Kalamata, a port in the Peloponnese best known for its marina, luxury yachts and olive groves. It is unlikely that calves in danger would be landed there. Perhaps the aim is, at best to take fodder on board for the rest of the journey. But today, at 2.30 pm, the Elbeik passed the Peloponnese. We no longer dare to say where she is going; neither does she, since she is still announcing that she is heading towards Kalamata. It has been 81 days since the “live freight” have been in transit in the Mediterranean. The cattle dealers and bureaucrats of the European Union, Directorate General for Health and Food Safety, are crossing the line and reaching a refinement of cruelty. Leaving Cyprus on February 27, the Elbeik was expected in Cartagena today, March 8. The port of Cartagena no longer wishes to receive the Elbeik anyway on the grounds that she was not her port of departure.
Another livestock carrier, the Karim Allah, who left the Spanish port of Cartagena on December 18, returned to Cartagena at the end of February after being refused access to Turkey and Libya for suspected bluetongue disease. Several calves died along the way, they were cut up on board and thrown into the sea. Since this weekend, the survivors are being euthanised.
The Elbeik and the Karim Allah are approved by the European Union to export cattle from the member states. Their flags are Togo and Lebanon, their owners are Reina Shipping Ltd registered in Liberia c/o Rana Maritime Services SA (Lebanon) and Khalifeh Livestock Trd Co SARL registered in Lebanon c/o Talia Shipping Line Co SARL (Lebanon).
The protest campaign against these inhumane practices is led in Spain by the NGO Animal Welfare Foundation.
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