Newsroom

This morning, EU NAVFOR received the confirmation that the South-Korean fishing vessel GOLDEN WAVE (formerly named KEUMMI 305) has been pirated off the Kenyan coast on Saturday 9 October 2010.

  This week, EU NAVFOR provided her support during a training course on Maritime Law Enforcement on counter-piracy organized by the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) in Djibouti for representatives of “Djibouti Code of Conduct” States.

On 14 October 2010, EU NAVFOR Operational Headquarters (Northwood, UK) welcomed maritime industry representatives to provide them with an update on the current piracy threat in the Horn of Africa.

Over a period of 15 days, successful piracy of three merchant vessels has been prevented through their use of Best Management Practices, proving the value of such self-protection measures.

On 10 October 2010, the crew of the EU NAVFOR Italian ship ITS LIBECCIO, visited the "Bee Hive Children's orphanage" during its port visit in Mombasa harbour (Kenya).

On the afternoon of 10 October, the owners of the Panama-flagged MV IZUMI reported that they had received an automatically released distress signal indicating that the vessel was likely to be under pirate attack.

The Taiwanese fishing vessel FENG GUO that had been reported by her owner as being pirated on 7 October 2010 is confirmed to be free from pirates this afternoon. The false report had been sent after the owner having been without contact with the ship for two days.

On 8 October 2010, the Taiwanese fishing vessel FENG GUO was confirmed pirated 250 nautical miles from Antisiranana, Madagascar. This is the most southerly vessel to be pirated since the operation began.

On 6 October, the EU NAVFOR Dutch support ship HNLMS AMSTERDAM gave assistance to a drifting vessel with 26 crewmembers on board.

On Monday 4 October, EU NAVFOR's Deputy Commander, Rear-Admiral Thomas Ernst, visited the World Food Programme (WFP) Headquarters in Rome, Italy, to discuss possible ways for EU NAVFOR to improve the assistance it provides to WFP vessels.

On the evening of October 3, the EU NAVFOR German frigate FGS KOELN disrupted a suspected pirate skiff which was involved in the chase of a merchant vessel, in the Gulf of Aden.

On 3 October, EU NAVFOR Force Commander, Rear-Admiral Philippe Coindreau, took the opportunity to visit the EU NAVFOR fast combat support ship HNLMS AMSTERDAM, during a replenishment at sea operation with the Flagship FS DE GRASSE, off the eastern coasts of Somalia.