Press Releases

EU NAVFOR can confirm that the hijacked M/V VOC DAISY has now arrived off the coast of Somalia in the vicinity of Garacad.

The EU NAVFOR warship ESPS VICTORIA yesterday intercepted a pirate action group (PAG) comprising one mother ship, a “Whaler”, and two skiffs.

On Saturday 24 of April EU NAVFOR Dutch warship HNLMS Johan de Witt prevented yet another pirate group from leaving the Somali coast and confiscated their vessel.

The Swedish Supreme Commander, General Sverker Göranson, visited HSwMS Carlskrona and the Force Headquarters during her last port visit in Djibouti on Friday 23 of April.

On 20th April 2010, a week after joining EU NAVFOR’s anti piracy operation off the coast of Somalia, the Greek frigate ELLI was officially welcomed to the task group with a visit from Force Commander Rear Admiral (LH) Jan Thörnqvist.

During the night of 19th April 2010, 400 nautical miles from the coast of Somalia, French replenishment ship SOMME came under attack from two skiffs with six pirates on board.

On Wednesday 21st April, a Portuguese Maritime Patrol Reconnaissance Aircraft (MPRA) arrived in Victoria, Seychelles, to augment the other Maritime Patrol aircraft from Sweden and Luxemburg of EU NAVFOR’s anti piracy operation – Atalanta.

On the morning of 21April 2010, the Panamanian Flagged (Liberian owned) M/V VOC DAISY, a bulk carrier of 47,183 dead weight tonnes, was hijacked in the Gulf of Aden, 190 nautical miles East South East of Salalah, Oman.

On 18th April 2010, three Thai fishing vessels from Djibouti, were hijacked 1200 nautical miles east of the coast of Somalia.

On the morning of 19th April EU NAVFOR Operational Head Quarters hosted a visit by the High Representative of the EU Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Right Honourable the Baroness Ashton.

Malta, which already has an officer working in the Operational HQ at Northwood, will increase her contribution in the fight against piracy off Somalia with the provision of a Vessel Protection Detachment (VPD) from April to July, 2010.

Yesterday, 15 April, EU NAVFOR Spanish warship ESPS VICTORIA tracked, boarded and destroyed a Pirate mother ship. This event, just off the coast of Somalia, shows that EU NAVFORs new, more robust strategy is working.