Press Releases

After the unsuccessful attack of a Liberian flagged oil tanker earlier this morning, EU NAVFOR units have tracked down and are shadowing the pirate mothership and skiffs involved. The mothership is the NAFEYA, believed to have been hijacked earlier.

A 265.000-ton tanker, flying the flag of Liberia, was attacked this morning by probable Somali pirates in the western part of the Gulf of Aden.

Today, July 8, at around 0530 (GMT) a Turkish bulk cargo ship, deadweight 34,173 tons, was hijacked by pirates in the Gulf of Aden. The Turkish ship has a crew of 23 sailors. The vessel was registered with MSC(HOA).

On 1 July the EU NAVFOR French frigate ACONIT patrolling in the Gulf of Aden received a distress call from the Indian ship AL TAREK.

Since 8 December 2008 the European Union has been conducting a military operation to help deter, prevent and repress acts of piracy and armed robbery off the coast of Somalia.

14.000 tons of food have been delivered successfully to the starving people of Somalia from Mombasa, Kenya to Moqdisho in order to prevent the predicted famine in Somalia.

The European Naval Force warship ITS MAESTRALE (Italian) handed over nine detainees suspected of involvement in piracy to the Kenyan authorities on June 25th.

A new movie brief has been uploaded to the MSC(HOA) Briefs section of the website.  It has been created to explain the methodology behind Group Transits and is based upon the presentation sent to all registered vessel movements.  There is still some confusion concerning the purpose of Group Transits

On 10 June, the winners of the Safety at Sea International Awards 2009 were presented their trophies at the Hotel Bristol in Oslo, Norway. Shipping companies that introduced safety related products and/or services that were new to the market in 2008 could enter.

EU NAVFOR Operation Atalanta was established on December 8, 2008 in accordance with United Nations Security Council Resolutions.