Abstract:
The period over the past 5 years, 2006 to the present day, has seen a dramatic change to the pre-existing levels of security and safe passage for sea-going vessels in Seychelles waters. In 2006, for example, there were no reported incidents of pirate activity in Seychelles waters. However, this has rapidly changed over these past 5 years, to one where the EUNAVFOR European Union Naval Force Operation ATALANTA now defines that entire north west Indian Ocean as
Suez to the north, 10 degrees south (northern tip of Madagascar) and 78 degrees East (Cape Comorin, India). This is a massive sea area, and encompasses the entire Seychelles EEZ Economic Exclusion Zone which is in itself extremely large measuring 1,393,000 square kilometres. By comparison the western European countries of France, Germany, Italy and UK altogether total 1,450,000 square kilometres. The task of successfully patrolling and policing the entire NW Indian Ocean is an enormous undertaking akin to ‘looking for a needle in a haystack', giving an idea of the logistical challenge anti-piracy work entails. Armed ships, convoy running, well trained crews and extreme diligence, are just some of the ways to try and face this modern-day scourge on the high seas.
