The marines “tuna protectors” integrated into Atalanta? (shift)
(BRUSSELS2) Could the marines and marine commandos who protect French fishing vessels off the Seychelles be integrated into the European anti-piracy operation Atalanta? In any case, some diplomats are thinking about it...
Disclaimer ofAtalanta
On the side ofAtalanta, we deny any need or intention to integrate these ship protection detachments within the European operation”. Currently, these men depend only on the French command and are deployed within the framework army-fisherman agreement, with the agreement of the Seychelles government for the presence on its soil of several soldiers. If there is any change, it could be done when signing thestatus of forces agreement (SOFA) which is to be signed soon between the EU and the Seychelles (1).
Extension to other fishing vessels?
The system would remain unchanged, in particular with the participation of fishing owners in taking charge of the military, a presence on board naval vessels and a logistics base in the Seychelles. But this solution would first of all make it possible to have a slightly more solid legal basis for intervention for this dual presence, and also to extend the system to other fishing vessels, particularly those flying the Spanish flag, by circumventing the legal problem by Spain.
Legislative problems are in fact opposed in Spain, according to the government, to the deployment of Spanish soldiers on board fishing vessels, as well as operational difficulties (2). This operational development would circumvent this problem. The solution of private guards, recommended by the Spanish government, does not at all satisfy fishermen who consider this protection insufficient — nothing beats a good "Marine" according to them — or even dangerous from a liability point of view, not to mention its higher cost: it is estimated between 24.000 euros to 36.000 euros, or even 55.000 euros per month and per boat. And how the operation works Atalanta does not provide them with enough security, they believe.
Atalanta implicated
In Spain the anxiety of fishermen is mounting. After the (repelled) attack of the French fishing boats Drennec and Glénan and the (successful) attack of thealakrana, they feel particularly threatened. " If the pirates dared with the French, there is no worthwhile protection zone ", as reported by the Voice of Galicia. The Fishermen notably accuse the command of Atalanta of not having reacted. "For a week, we have been constantly alerting Northwood (Atalanta's HQ). And nothing was done. (...) A Greek frigate is based in the Seychelles, they explain. "She didn't move".
Private security to the rescue
The tuna boats based in Bermeo (Basque Country) have already commissioned a British private company, Minimal Risk (3), according to El Pais, to protect their boats based in the Seychelles and which fly the flag of the archipelago. The cost amounts to 55.000 euros per month per vessel, not including staff travel costs, maintenance and insurance. Advantage for sailors, as their boats fly the Seychelles flag, they do not have to respect the limits imposed in Spain for private companies, in particular by prohibiting long-range rifles or weapons of war.
According to an agreement with the Seychelles government, the weapons of the "mercenaries" will remain in the custody of the captain when he returns to port. Seven ships would be affected by this protection: theErrowape, Demiku, Xixi (belonging to Echebastar, the owner of thealakrana); I'Intertuna I and II (Albacora); the Artza (Atunsa) and the Txori audi (Inpesca). Unprotected ships would sail in tandem with a protected ship. But for tuna boats, this solution of private guards is a last resort. They prefer by far the solution of "marines" which seems safer to them both operationally and in terms of responsibility.
(Nicolas Gros-Verheyde)
(1) This development could, however, require a modification of the Joint Action - European Decision on which the operation is based. Atalanta. This could be done by November, on the occasion of the extension of the operation (a joint meeting of the Ministers of Defense and Foreign Affairs is taking place on November 16 and 17, 2009).
(2) The Spanish government argues in particular that it does not like the French base in Djibouti. In fact, it is above all the possibility of basing its military in the Seychelles, which is essential.
(3) Company based in Hereford, run by a former SAS, Bob Cole, Minimum Risk notably intervened in Iraq, as a security consultant and to protect the BBC television teams in Basra and Kuwait in 2003.
