At 1330Z on 28 December 2010, the MV MARIDA MARGUERITE was released from pirate control.
The vessel which is Marshall Island flagged and German owned, was pirated on the morning of 8 May 2010. With a deadweight of 13168 tonnes and a crew of 22 (19 Indian, 1 Ukrainian and 2 Bangladeshi) she was bound for Antwerp, Holland, when taken by pirates approximately 120 nautical miles South of Salalah, Oman.
There are now 25 vessels and 587 hostages being held by pirates off the coast of Somalia.
EUNAVFOR 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, EUNAVFOR monitors fishing activity off the coast of Somalia.