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| Africa Horn |
| French warship team destroys pirate boats |
| 2010-03-06 |
| Twenty-eight suspected pirates were taken into custody Friday by the European Union Naval Force after a handful of failed attacks on fishing vessels in the Indian Ocean, the EU mission said. In the first incident, the mission intercepted the a mother ship and two skiffs early Friday in the southern Indian Ocean between the Seycelles and Mombasa, Kenya. The mission said the suspected pirates were in an area where an earlier attack had occurred. A helicopter from the French warship FS Nivose then tracked the vessels and saw the suspects throwing things overboard, the mission said. When a French team arrived at the scene, it found 11 suspected pirates and "pirate paraphernalia" in the skiffs: a rocket launcher, grappling hooks and several fuel barrels. The forces destroyed the pirate ship and a skiff and took the suspected pirates into custody. The fate of the second skiff was not immediately known. Soon after, pirates tried to attack a French fishing vessel near two other fishing boats, said Cmdr. John Harbour, spokesman for the EU Naval Force. The French fishing vessel collided with the suspected pirates' vessel and sank it, Harbour said. Six suspected pirates were picked out of the water by the EU force, he said. It was not immediately clear if they had been transported to the FS Nivose, although that had been planned, he said. Later, pirates tried to attack a Spanish fishing vessel, Harbour said. The boat alerted the EU Naval Force, and air and naval units intervened, he said. Eleven suspected pirates were taken into custody and were on board the Nivose, Harbour said. Harbour said an increase in pirate attacks was likely over the next few weeks as the monsoon season was ending and the ocean was becoming calmer, he said. "The pirates have been preparing for it. ... We are prepared as well," he said. On Thursday, pirates on two skiffs in the Indian Ocean attacked the Spanish fishing vessel Albacan, the EU Naval Force said. The pirates fired a rocket-propelled grenade, which exploded on the Albacan's deck and burst into flames, force said. The deck or the grenade? Armed guards on the Albacan fired shots at the skiffs and repelled the attack, it said. No crew members were injured, and the small fire was extinguished. |
| Posted by:tipper |
| #13 A country can claim 1000nm out but can they enforce the claim? Example: Libya and "Line of Death" |
| Posted by: Cyber Sarge 2010-03-06 23:50 |
| #12 You'd think the haul from one pirate expedition would pay for the fishing activities of every pirate out there for more than their lifetimes. Maybe the Euros could give them a few boatloads of fish and the problem would be solved? |
| Posted by: gorb 2010-03-06 22:04 |
| #11 i didn't think you where defending piracy, just thought it was funny he got so upset |
| Posted by: chris 2010-03-06 21:38 |
| #10 chris, I guess I failed to make myself clear. I was not actually defending piracy - I'd just sink their boats with them on 'em, period. I just found it 'interesting' that the actions taken by the Euronavy seemed to only be in defense of Eurofishermen, who historically had the least justification to be defended. |
| Posted by: Glenmore 2010-03-06 21:34 |
| #9 damn, glenmore youpissed in mike hunts cornflakes didn't you |
| Posted by: chris 2010-03-06 19:27 |
| #8 It is true that - particularly European - illegal and over-fishing is a serious problem around much of the African coast, it takes place on the non-Muslim West coast without being used as an excuse for the locals to participate in the piracy business. To defend the Somali pirates is analogous to saying that it's OK for a pizza delivery boy to rob passing cars at gunpoint because someone siphoned the petrol(/gas) out of his moped. |
| Posted by: Bulldog 2010-03-06 17:21 |
| #7 Mike, most countries maintain a 200 mile economic zone in the waters off their coasts. Within that zone activities such as fishing are indeed regulated. I've read elsewhere (no link, sorry) that Euro (and especially Taiwanese) fishing boats do indeed poach this limit off Somalia. The furriners are way more efficient than the Somalians so fishing stocks have been some depleted. That's the ostensible complaint. |
| Posted by: Steve White 2010-03-06 14:13 |
| #6 @Glenmore #2 comment: " European fishing boats have a long history of illegal fishing (and overfishing) Somalian waters " = Utter Bullsh!t Show me proof of that happening. Credible news source. Vessels from all countries are permitted to fish in international waters. The pirates are claiming violations of Somali waters to justify their piracy actions. Note that almost all acts of piracy against vessels from all countries are occurring in international waters. If ships were illegally fishing in Somali waters why haven't they been attacked and held? They would be a much easier catch since they would be so close to Somali land. Do you also believe in "3am wedding parties in the desert" and cruise missiles only hitting aspirin and baby formula factories too?? |
| Posted by: Mike Hunt 2010-03-06 12:33 |
| #5 Pirate paraphernalia? Patches, parrots, peg-legs? |
| Posted by: Sgt. D.T. 2010-03-06 11:43 |
| #4 EU Naval Force First time I've heard of them. French Warship ... destroyed the pirate ship and a skiff and took the suspected pirates into custody. Action get results, not "diplomatic efforts and appeasement". Got that B.O.? |
| Posted by: Alistaire Angique6243 2010-03-06 11:17 |
| #3 The theory that the Somali's were acting as impromptu "coasties" may have been valid 10 years ago. Now they are just prowling for new "mother ships". |
| Posted by: tipover 2010-03-06 11:02 |
| #2 European fishing boats have a long history of illegal fishing (and overfishing) Somalian waters - which they could do since Somalia has no coast guard or fish & wildlife agency. I have heard it said that a lot of the Somali pirates are just fishermen without any fish to catch. Interesting that the French warships were concentrating their anti-pirate activities on pirates who were threatening European fishing boats rather than the bigger and more international shipping traffic. |
| Posted by: Glenmore 2010-03-06 08:23 |
| #1 Excellent work, but they should have left the pirates in the water. |
| Posted by: Bulldog 2010-03-06 03:03 |