The ship which had been organised to transport 3,000 bulls from Ireland to Libya has departed Irish shores without the bulls.
The vessel in question did not have the approval required to transport the animals and so has since been sent on its way, AgriLand understands.
It is believed that the ship has previously transported animals from Ireland for export but had not been in Ireland for quite some time prior to coming to Wateford Port for this latest consignment.
The consignment consists of some 3,000 bulls which are due to depart from Waterford Port for the north African country.
Department view
Earlier this week on Tuesday (September 22), in a brief statement on the matter, a spokesperson for the Department of Agriculture said:
“There is no departure date agreed or approval for the loading of livestock on the vessel in question by the department.
The department understands the [original] vessel arrived at Waterford Port on [Tuesday] September 8.
In terms of ship inspections, the spokesperson added: “The inspection of the vessel is a matter for the International Maritime Organisation’s Port State Control.”