750 Euro/Day To Protect One Tuna Crew Member Against Piratesff
29 October 2009
Spain Source: EITB The decision comes after shipowners and Basque PM Patxi Lopez met on Monday to evaluate the situation of the Basque tuna boat ‘Alakrana’, hijacked since October 2.
The armed protection of the Basque tuna fishing boats working in waters of the Indian Ocean, where pirate attacks occur frequently, will cost 750 Euros per person per day, international agencies sources reported.
Apart from the hijacked Alakrana, there are 10 Basque trawlers currently working in the Indian Ocean off the Somali coast, one of them an assistant boat.
The same sources said that it is necessary to have 4 security guards aboard every tuna boat, a move which will involve a cost of 3,000 Euros per day per ship.
The Basque government and shipowners on Monday signed an agreement to carry out the initiative. Specifically, the Vitoria-Gasteiz’s executive will finance the 25 percent of the budget, another 25 percent will be likely be guaranteed by the Spanish government, and the boat owners will pay the remaining 50 percent.
