On Sunday 21 December whilst conducting counter-piracy patrols, Spanish Navy warship, ESPS Rayo, met local seafarers in the Gulf of Aden.

This is the third meeting that the crew from ESPS Rayo has carried out with local fishermen since her departure from Spain. ESPS Rayo is part of Spain’s contribution to the European Union’s fight against piracy in the Horn of Africa.

After ESPS Rayo’s boarding team approached the fishing dhow, the master welcomed the Spanish Navy crew on board and invited them to sit on top of the bridge, where they talked for several minutes.

The dhow’s master stated that he welcomed the efforts of military counter-piracy forces to deter piracy and to help keep merchant ships and fishing vessels safer from attack.

Friendly approaches such as this help to increase mutual trust between the EU Naval Force and local seafarers. They are also very useful in analyzing and understanding regional maritime activities and in identifying the local ‘pattern of life’.

Both the master and the small team from ESPS Rayo agreed the importance of cooperation and mutual support to each other.