Spiridon II – Press release n°1
In this 52-year-old livestock carrier in quarantine off Bandırma in Türkiye, around 20 men and 2,853 cows are trapped in an unworthy and shamefully persistent international business.
Having departed from Montevideo (Uruguay) bound for Türkiye on September 19 with 2,901 heifers, some of which may be pregnant, the Spiridon II is 54 days later unable to deliver her live “goods”. Veterinary authorities are refusing to allow them to disembark due to a controversy over ear tags that guarantee, among other things, the exact origin and health monitoring of the animals. Videos released by our partner AWF (Animal Welfare Foundation) and Animal Save Movement Türkiye show that additional fodder was loaded onto the upper deck of the Spiridon II on Sunday November 9. After this operation, the Spiridon II was evacuated from the port and the waiting time continues for the cattle and the crew in solitary confinement. Already, 48 cows are reported to have died. The big bags visible in the picture are believed to contain the carcasses.
Spiridon II in the port of Bandarma © Animal Welfare Foundation/Animal Save Movement Türkiye
Uruguay is South America’s second largest exporter of livestock after Brazil. In the first 8 months of 2025, 265,000 head of cattle were exported, including calves, heifers and cows of the Angus, Hereford and Holstein breeds to Türkiye (77%), Israel (12%) and Morocco (11%). Between mid-August and mid-September, 45,000 head of cattle were exported, according to data from the ACG (Asociación de Consignatarios de Ganado, Association of Livestock Consignees).
The Spiridon II, a former Russian general cargo ship converted into a livestock carrier in 2011, is 52 years old. She should have been scrapped a good twenty years ago. Her manager is based in Honduras. She flies the flag of Togo. Togo is on the black list of flags established by the Paris Memorandum of Understanding on Port State Control.
The Spiridon II has been detained nine times since 2009. Since 2019, port inspections have identified 167 deficiencies on board relating to working conditions, pollution prevention, life-saving appliances, fire safety, navigation safety and structural condition. The most recent inspections were carried out in Piraeus (Greece) on August 23, 2024 (10 deficiencies) and in Beirut (Lebanon) on October 30, 2024 (3 deficiencies) and July 26, 2025 (4 deficiencies).
The Spiridon II was approved by the European Union’s Directorate-General for Health and Food Safety and used to transport livestock between European ports and North African and Eastern Mediterranean countries until at least mid-2024. The European Union’s lack of transparency makes it impossible to know its current status with certainty.
Talks are reportedly underway to extend the voyage and deliver the animals to Ukraine. To be continued.
For more information on the Spiridon II and the transport of live farm animals by sea, see:
– “Like beasts in substandard ships”, June 17, 2021
– Report “78 EU-approved livestock carriers” written by Robin des Bois with the support of Animal Welfare Foundation and Tierschutzbund Zürich, June 2021
– “Livestock carriers: The most dangerous vessels in the world”, March 26, 2024
– “Mourir en mer, une tragédie banale pour le bétail européen”, April 4, 2024 (only in French)
– Report “64 EU-approved livestock carriers” written by Robin des Bois and Animal Welfare Foundation, March 2024
Imprimer cet article
