October 2009

The previously reported sighting of a yacht by the helicopter of the EU NAVFOR Spanish ship Canarias has been confirmed as the missing British yacht the Lynn Rival. EU NAVFOR is cooperating with UK ships in the area and the British MOD and FCO have been made aware of the sighting.

Early this morning a Thailand flagged fishing vessel (Thai Union 3) was under attack by two skiffs in the Position about 200 nautical miles north of the Seychelles and 650 miles off the Somali coast.

In the afternoon of October 27th 2009, 350 nautical miles east of Mogadishu, Somalia a French Fishing Vessel was attacked by pirates in two attack skiffs. The pirates opened fire on the Fishing Vessel.

On Sunday October 25th the Force Commander of the European Union Naval Force  Somalia (EU NAVFOR), Commodore Bindt, met with his Japanese counterpart, Commander of Escort Division Two (CCD2), Captain Arihara on board the Netherlands EU NAVFOR flagship HNLMS Evertsen in the Golf of Aden.

The Commanding Officers of the three largest Counter Piracy Task Forces in the Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean met on board the EU NAVFOR flagship HNLMS Evertsen on October 26 in the International Recognized Transit Corridor in the Gulf of Aden, one of the world’s busiest shipping routes betwe

Late afternoon, Friday October 23 EU NAVFOR Netherlands warship HNLMS Evertsen rescued 43 persons adrift in the Gulf of Aden.

The Hijacked Bulk Carrier the DE XIN HAI is confirmed to have arrived off the coast of Somalia and is now in the vicinity of Hobyo. It is not yet known if the pirates have contacted the owners and made their demands known.

On the early morning of October 22nd 2009, 400 nautical miles east of Mombasa, Kenya, pirates attempted to hijack MV Jolly Rosso. Almost at the same time, MV Al Khaliq, a Panama flagged bulk carrier reported being under attack 180 nautical miles west of the Seychelles.

On the early morning of  October 20th 2009 EU NAVFOR German warship FGS Bremen stopped 3 skiffs in the Indian Ocean, 450 nautical miles East of Mogadishu and 300 nautical miles North-west of the Seychelles.

The bulk carrier DE XIN HAI is heading northwest and is now 650 nautical miles off the East coast of Somalia.

On the morning of Sunday October 18th the helicopter of EU NAVFOR warship HNLMS Evertsen sighted a large skiff adrift 230 nautical miles east of Mogadishu, Somalia.

Around noon local time, October 19th 2009 the Bulk Carrier DE XIN HAI from the Peoples Republic of China was hijacked in the Indian Ocean, 350 nautical miles North East of the Seychelles and 700 nautical miles off the East coast of Somalia.

During the early morning of October 15 2009 a Singaporeflagged Container Ship KOTA WAJAR was hijacked in the Indean Ocean by Pirates some 300 nautical miles north of the Seychelles.

Today, a helicopter from the EU NAVFOR German warship BREMEN, identified suspected pirate craft in the Somali Basin. The suspect craft were made up of a mother skiff and two smaller skiffs, near the islands of Seychelles (0109S 5355E).

On Sunday 11 October the two suspected pirates taken into custody by EU NAVFOR Spanish warship CANARIAS were handed over to Spanish authorities.

On sunday 11 october the Ambassadors of the Political and Security Committee (PSC) of the European Union visited the European Union Naval Force under the Security and Defence Policy, the first Naval operation under ESDP.

Today two French fishing vessel in position approximately 160 nm North of Seychelles reported being under attack by pirate skiffs. The attacks were unsuccessful.

French Ambassador for Antipiracy coordination praises EU NAVFOR – Atalanta

Early this morning, 7 Oct 2009, 5 pirates were captured as they tried to take control of a French replenishment ship, the SOMME, that is supporting the EU NAVFOR Operation Atalanta.

On the morning of 3 Oct, whilst conducting a patrol in the Gulf of Aden, EU NAVFOR Belgian warship LOUISE-MARIE intercepted a distress call from a merchant vessel transiting in the Gulf of Aden.

The Turkish owned bulk carrier, MV HORIZON 1, was released on Monday, October 05.

Late in the evening of 3 October, two of the suspected pirates who gained control of the Spanish tuna fishing vessel ALAKRANA the day before, were arrested by the EU NAVFOR Spanish warship CANARIAS.

Early on the morning of 2 October, Somali pirates gained control of the Spanish tuna fishing vessel ALAKRANA, midway between the Seychelles and the Somali port of Kismayo, some 400 miles offshore. The fishing vessel, with a crew of 36, was just two days into an expedition.

During the early morning of October 2nd 2009 the Spanish Fishing Vessel ALAKRANA was hijacked in the Indean Ocean by pirates at some 360 nautical miles off the east coast of Somalia.

A meeting of the SHADE Group met in Bahrain on 29 Sept 2009 to discuss practical aspects of counter-piracy off the coast of Somalia.