Article

2010-03-06 Africa Horn

French warship team destroys pirate boats

Archived material is restricted to Rantburg regulars and members. If you need access email fred.pruitt=at=gmail.com with your nick to be added to the members list. There is no charge to join Rantburg as a member.

Posted by tipper 2010-03-06 00:59|| || Front Page|| [7 views ] Top

#1 Excellent work, but they should have left the pirates in the water.

Posted by Bulldog 2010-03-06 03:03|| 2010-03-06 03:03|| Front Page Top

#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|| 2010-03-06 08:23|| Front Page Top

#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|| 2010-03-06 11:02|| Front Page Top

#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|| 2010-03-06 11:17|| Front Page Top

#5 Pirate paraphernalia? Patches, parrots, peg-legs?

Posted by Sgt. D.T. 2010-03-06 11:43|| 2010-03-06 11:43|| Front Page Top

#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|| 2010-03-06 12:33|| Front Page Top

#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|| 2010-03-06 14:13|| Front Page Top

#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|| 2010-03-06 17:21|| Front Page Top

#9 damn, glenmore youpissed in mike hunts cornflakes didn't you

Posted by chris 2010-03-06 19:27|| 2010-03-06 19:27|| Front Page Top

#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|| 2010-03-06 21:34|| Front Page Top

#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|| 2010-03-06 21:38|| Front Page Top

#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|| 2010-03-06 22:04|| Front Page Top

#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|| 2010-03-06 23:50|| Front Page Top

23:50 Cyber Sarge
23:25 ed
23:09 gorb
23:07 gorb
23:05 gorb
22:53 gorb
22:44 gorb
22:43 gorb
22:17 gorb
22:16 gorb
22:13 gorb
22:09 gorb
22:05 gorb
22:04 gorb
21:59 gorb
21:58 gorb
21:52 crosspatch
21:44 crosspatch
21:38 chris
21:34 Glenmore
21:32 Frank G
21:09 lord garth
20:56 swksvolFF
20:43 Old Patriot