Livestock ship “Kharim Allah” is seen at sea near Cartagena, in Spain on February 25. (Image: Reuters)
The ministry said the cattle originally left Spain with the proper health authorizations.
Nearly 900 cattle that have been on a ship traveling the Mediterranean Sea for two months will be sacrificed after veterinarians deemed them no longer fit for export, Spanish authorities said.
A total of 895 cattle set sail from the Spanish port of Cartagena on December 18 in the cargo ship named Karim Allah destined for export to Turkey. Turkish port authorities, however, refused to let them disembark, reportedly due to suspicions about their health.
After a second failed attempt to unload the cattle in Libya, the boat returned to Cartagena, where Spanish authorities ordered it to dock on Thursday.