SaveOurSeafarers, the organization that supports anti-piracy measures and aids the crews who are taken by pirates, has expressed its approval of the air strikes carried out by the naval forces of the European Union on Tuesday.
Alastair Evitt, chairman of the anti-piracy campaign, stated: “We applaud yesterday’s EUNAVFOR airborne operation to destroy pirate equipment on the Somali coastline. This disruptive action against known pirate supply bases on the shore will disrupt Somali pirates’ efforts to launch attacks on merchant ships, dhows and fishing vessels.
“This EUNAVFOR action is an extension of what we have been pressing governments for – tougher and more proactive rules of engagement in respect of the catch and release of suspected pirates.”
He also pointed out that “much of the world’s automotive fuel arrives by sea. If oil tanker routes through the Indian Ocean and Gulf of Aden were disrupted by piracy, it would completely paralyze many of the world’s biggest economies in a matter of days. People don’t realize that over 90 per cent of world trade is dependent on seafarers and ships, with 40 per cent passing through the affected area.”
Evitt stressed that Somali piracy is “a real and present threat to each and every one of us. More than 225 seafarers are currently held hostage by Somali pirates. Unpalatable as it may seem, the current system of strong, decisive naval activity, and the negotiation and payment of ransoms, is the only way to secure the lives and liberty of our seafarers.”
Source: SaveOurSeafarers
Topics Europe
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