The Emirates equip the Seychelles fleet with 5 new ships

The Seychelles maritime patrol fleet is now equipped with five new vessels. The United Arab Emirates had promised a supply of ships last July. Six months later, the promise is kept. Sheikh Saeed was, on Tuesday (January 4th), on the basis of the Seychellois coastguards of Bois de Rose to preside over the ceremony of handing over five ships to the Seychelles authorities: two patrol ships and three speedboats, equipped with the latest technologies.

115 islands to protect against pirates

The first objective remains the fight against piracy, as assured by the president of the archipelago, James Michel, who is also the commander-in-chief of the armed forces. "The fight against piracy is our primary concern today. (…) This endowment is of great importance for our armed forces. This will increase our ability to fight against (this) threat and allow greater maritime surveillance. It will offer greater support and security to our fishermen as well as to other sailors in the region. ". In this archipelago which has 115 islands, it is very difficult to fight against piracy. But there are also other threats, such as illegal fishing (fishing income is one of the main resources of the island). Nothing therefore prevents these vessels from fulfilling all the functions of the State's presence at sea, such as action against illegal fishing.

A doubling of the Seychelles fleet

The two patrol ships have been renamed and Frenchified. 30 meters long “La Flèche” like “Le Vigilant” can carry a crew of 15 sailors. The other three boats are smaller: 7 meters, with a crew of 7 people. But they can reach a speed of 30 knots. Cost for the Emirates: $15 million. A trifle for the Gulf State. For the Seychelles, a small state in the Indian Ocean, this nevertheless represents the doubling of its fleet. The coastguards already have two ships supplied by India, the Topaz and the Andromache, which have distinguished themselves in the previous months against pirates (1).

... and European aid of 3 million euros

This highly visible endowment from the United Arab Emirates complements other aid, in particular that paid by the European Union. In mid-December, the EU thus made a check for 3 million euros to the Seychelles under the European Development Fund, with the main objective of strengthening the fight against piracy and maritime surveillance. . For the EU Ambassador, Alessandro Mariani, as related by our local colleague "Nation", the Seychelles have " played a constructive and important role in combating these illegal acts not only at the national level but also by developing a regional strategy, which was adopted during the second ministerial meeting of the region, held in October 2010 ».

This subsidy should cover both the direct costs linked to maritime patrols and the strengthening of judicial and penitentiary structures for the prosecution of pirates, as well as compensation for the industry (tourism, navigation, fishing) of the archipelago affected by piracy. The other funding is geared more towards more traditional development or social projects.

This grant is part of a more general increase in funding for the Seychelles. They were increased over the 2008-2013 period to 20,4 million euros against 5,9 million euros, as planned for the end of 2009.

(1) Read also:

• The Seychellois forces intervene. The 7 fishermen hostages of the pirates, freed
• Fight against piracy: Seychelles raises its voice over lack of international support
• The Topaz Coast Guard in the face of a pirate attack (continued)
• Pursuit in the ocean. The Topaz releases 27 hostages and arrests 9 pirates