Luxembourg, 24/04/2009 (Agence Europe) - Since the deployment of the EU's military operation Atalanta in the Gulf of Aden, the number of pirate attacks on freight and fishing ships and pleasure boats has fallen but Somali pirates have started attacking ships further to the south, in the waters off the Seychelles and the north-east of Madagascar, an area where the EU tuna fleet operates. No EU ships fish in Somali waters but the four dozen EU tuna ships fishing in the Indian Ocean, mainly Spanish ships, are still in the area. Spain therefore asked the Fisheries Council in Luxembourg on Thursday 23 April to extend the Atalanta protection zone because pirates are operating well outside Somali waters. The Greek, French, Bulgarian and Italian delegations supported the Spanish request. An expert explained that the pirates use mother vessels (big ships tugging other smaller boats behind them) to carry out attacks some 200 miles off the coastline.
Michel Barnier, the French fisheries minister, pointed out that the French government has redeployed an armed patrol vessel, “the Albatross,” to the area from its base in La Réunion and it will be carrying out a control mission for several weeks on behalf of all French and Spanish ships in this area of the Indian Ocean.
At a press conference, EU Fisheries Commissioner Joe Borg said he would be speaking with EU External Relations Commissioner Benita Ferrero Waldner to get the Commission to draft legislation for the Council on extending Atalanta's mission to the south. Borg will travel to the Seychelles in May to examine with the government of the Seychelles measures to avert Somali pirate attacks. (L.C./transl.fl)