OFFICIAL STATEMENT ON THE ALLEGED PIRACY INCIDENT INVOLVING A FISHING BOAT OFF THE COAST OF SOMALIA
Rota, 28 November 2023 – In recent days, EUNAVFOR has intercepted a fishing dhow off the coast of Puntland, Somalia, allegedly abducted by pirates.
Concerned about the potential for this dhow to facilitate further pirate attacks against merchant vessels, Operation ATALANTA deployed dedicated assets to closely monitor the dhow's movements and report its position to maritime traffic, fulfilling its primary duty of protecting it from such a threat. After an extensive tracking operation, the dhow is for the moment sailing towards the coast of Somalia under surveillance by EUNAVFOR assets.
EUNAVFOR remains vigilant to any piracy-related events in its area of operations to ensure the maritime security. Operation ATALANTA strongly recommends merchant and other vulnerable vessels to register in the MSCHOA's Voluntary Registration Scheme (VRS), to provide the most effective monitoring and response by ATALANTA forces and their partners in countering maritime security threats.