Fight against piracy must focus on sponsors (Royal Navy)
(BRUXELLES2) The latest meeting of SHADE (*), the system for sharing information on piracy, shows the scale taken by the fight against piracy. We no longer meet around a small table today. No less than 145 delegates from the naval forces, official authorities or the maritime industry, gathered in Bahrain on the American base which traditionally hosts this device. In fact, almost all the countries active or concerned by piracy are represented (Chinese, Russians included, except the Iranians). The meeting was chaired by a senior Eunavfor officer, Captain Phil Haslam, of the Royal Navy.
Don't rejoice too soon...
Spirits were openly optimistic: we were thus able to rejoice in the drop in catches by the Somali pirates and the more aggressive posture of the naval forces. Although there have been clear improvements in the deterrence of piracy since the last meeting ", however, wanted to warn Commodore Simon Ancona, also of the Royal Navy, and deputy commander of the CTF (the American-led coalition), invited " with caution » and not to relax the efforts. " If we release the pressure, the problem will reappear tomorrow. " To get " a long-term effect, it is also necessary to target the promoters and sponsors of piracy " he added.
(*) Not to be confused with Shape, the headquarters of the Allies in Europe. The Shade meets approximately every three months to strengthen cooperation and better coordinate the various naval forces in action in the Indian Ocean and the Gulf of Aden, to share information on new pirate modes of action and to agree on new types of actions to counter them. In particular, it makes it possible to coordinate between the forces present, the various escorts throughout the protected international corridor (IRTC) in the Gulf of Aden.
NB: This information was provided to us by the CTF. Fortunately, the Americans are always there to inform us about the activities of the Europeans... Yes we can! Communication from Eunavfor Atalanta HQ is, for the moment, almost exclusively devoted to the British or London-based press. Which is, in our view, more than a lack of taste, a masterly error of communication as well as a malfunction of the operation vis-à-vis the media.
On the balance sheet, read already:
