As piracy appears to be on the rise off the Horn of Africa, the Spanish fishing sector has requested an extension to the EU-backed security operation in the region.
The request addressed to Spain’s defence minister Margarita Robles comes from the Spanish Maritime Cluster, and is backed by fishing industry federation Cepesca.
This follows the IMO report published eariler this year which outlines an increase in incidents of maritime piracy and armed robbery, as well as the region’s first kidnapping incident off the coast of Somalia since 2017.
The report details 105 boardings, nine attempted attacks and the hijacking of four vessels, two of which were fired at. In total, the IMO counted 120 incidents of maritime piracy and armed robbery against vessels in 2023, compared to the 115 recorded in 2022. The number of crew members taken hostage has gone from 41 to 73.
Given the evidence that piracy continues to be a risk for ships transiting off the coast of Somalia, the Spanish fishing industry considers it vital for Spain to extend Operation Atalanta beyond December 2024.
