EU Naval Force - Somalia
Operation ATALANTA

This morning, 17 March, saw the culmination of highly successful EU NAVFOR pirate disruption activities by the EU NAVFOR French warship NIVOSE against Pirate Action Groups (PAG) operating in the Somali basin, approximately 350 nautical miles off the Somali Coast.

The PAG activities on 4 March led to an immediate response by EU NAVFOR warships and Maritime Patrol Aircraft and the EU NAVFOR Flag ship ETNA despatched NIVOSE to seek out the PAGs operating in the area.  On 5 March, NIVOSE intercepted a PAG and boarded two skiffs and a mother ship. The mother ship (whaler) was destroyed and she took on board two skiffs and detained 11 suspected pirates in an area clearly linked to the unsuccessful attack on the Spanish FV Intertuna 2. With the evidence gathered and presented to the Seychelles authorities, it was approved for the 11 detainees to be flown from Djibouti to the Seychelles for prosecution.

At 14.45 local time the 11 detainees arrived at Seychelles International airport. The detainees were handed over to the Seychelles Authorities. Present at the airport was Deputy Commander EU NAVFOR RAdm Bauza. After the detainees left RAdm Bauza was interviewed by the press and stated: “Today is a good day but you mustn’t forget the people at sea and the Seychelles Coastguard which are doing a wonderful job”.

EU NAVFOR Somalia – Operation ATALANTA’s main tasks are to escort merchant vessels carrying humanitarian aid of the ‘World Food Program’ (WFP) and vessels of AMISOM, and to protect vulnerable ships in the Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean and to deter and disrupt piracy. EU NAVFOR also monitors fishing activity off the coast of Somalia.