EU Naval Force - Somalia
Operation ATALANTA

On 29 October, the EU NAVFOR Italian ship ITS LIBECCIO visited two Yemeni fishing dhows, while patrolling along the Somali coast.

These kind of friendly visits on board non suspected vessels are crucial to collect information about piracy and help create an understanding of EU NAVFOR in the area.

The warship’s rhib approached the vessels and the EU NAVFOR sailors exchanged some information with the fishermen regarding suspicious activities at sea. The boarding team also made sure that the seafarers understood the reason for EU NAVFOR’s presence in the area.

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  African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM). EU NAVFOR also protects vulnerable vessels in the Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean, deters and disrupts piracy. In addition, EU NAVFOR monitors fishing activity off the coast of Somalia.