During the first week in June 2015, a team from Operation Atalanta flagship, ESPS Galicia, met local Somali fishermen during an EU counter-piracy patrol along the Somali coastline.

These meetings at sea take place when fishermen or local seafarers invite the naval forces on board to discuss any concerns that they may have and to talk about the current piracy situation off the coast.

It is also an opportunity for the European Union sailors and marines to explain the role of Operation Atalanta in helping to deter and disrupt piracy off the coast of Somalia.