Spain has ordered livestock carrier Elbeik (IMO 6718427), which has been idle in or travelling around the Mediterranean with 1,800 cattle on board for months, to dock in Cartagena. The Elbeik left the Spanish port of Tarragona in December, but it was refused entry into Turkey for reasons which are still not entirely clear, and that led it to the vessel being unable to find a port where it could unload its live cargo.
Several countries even refused the vessel entry to replenish animal feed, which was finally achieved in Greece earlier this month (IMN March 11th 2021)
At the request of the Spanish Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the General Directorate of the Merchant Marine ordered the vessel to return to the port so that inspectors could determine the health and welfare status of the animals.
The captain was warned that any failure to comply with the order could constitute a serious administrative offense. The Maritime Rescue and Safety Society will monitor the ship from its last position south coast of Menorca off Punta de Macarella until it reaches the port of Cartagena. The ship was underway on March 17th with an ETA of yesterday, March 18th.
At the beginning of March the owner of the ship was reported to have declined to follow the Karim Allah into port because he wanted to find an alternative market for the cattle on board.
The 900 animals on the Karim Allah were all eventually slaughtered.
As of March 18th the Elbeik remained in the Mediterranean, just south of the Balearics.
1967-built, Togo-flagged, 2,867 gt Elbeik is owned by Ibrahim Maritime Ltd care of manager Rana Maritime Services SA of Khaldeh, Lebanon.