A crane moves a container next to livestock ship "Karim Allah", that carries nearly a thousand Spanish cattle stranded on board with suspected bluetongue disease, at Escombreras port, in Cartagena, Spain, February 27, 2021. REUTERS/Juan MedinaFILE PHOTO: Livestock ship "Karim Allah" carrying nearly a thousand Spanish cattle stranded on ship with suspected bluetongue disease is docked at Escombreras port in Cartagena, Spain February 26, 2021. REUTERS/Juan Medina/File PhotoSpain on Monday ordered the slaughter of 1,610 cattle which have been stuck aboard the Elbeik livestock ship since December, just weeks after hundreds of cattle on another vessel met a similar fate. In December, Turkish authorities rejected the animals and another 850 Spanish cattle aboard the Lebanon-flagged Karim Allah over concerns they had bovine bluetongue virus, turning both vessels into international pariahs. Having failed to find a new buyer after months wandering the Mediterranean, the Karim Allah returned to the port of Cartagena on Spain's east coast in February and the Elbeik followed suit last week.

Source: Irish Independent March 23, 2021 07:41 UTC