Crew Spanish Seiner Denies Being Attacked By Piratesff

Source: Australia TO

The 77m long, huge purse seiner FV Felipe Ruano, which had been entangled already in a finally non-confirmed “pirate-attack”-situation in March 2009 on the Indian Ocean, just before the Spanish government had to decide if they would allow armed private security companies on board of the Spanish-flagged tuna haulers, reported again that they had been attacked last week morning around 06h00 (09h00 UTC), as was reported in the Spanish newspaper El Mundo.

While the vessel was allegedly fishing 580 miles off the coast of Somalia and 540 off the Seychelles islands in pair with another tuna vessel, the FV ARTZA, it was “approached” by a boat, which did not stop after signals where sent by maritime radio. Then the guards opened fire, allegedly into the air, reported the newspaper.

However, another publication EUROPA PRESS followed up and spoke directly with crew-members on  board of FV Felipe Ruano - with the result that nothing of the earlier report was said to be true and the guards denied to even have fired a single shot. The vessel in question was a wooden fishing boat, which only had come a little bit close to the Spanish industrial ships. “There has been no attack, neither yesterday, nor today,” the boatman stated in a direct interview last week. The vessel with a tonnage of 2110 GT and is owned by the Basque company PESQUERIA VASCO MONTAÑESA S.A. in Bermeo.

Why, one may ask, the respected newspaper El Mundo called out about a “pirate attack” concerning the non-event last week?

Well,  the Spanish Cabinet discussed a report on the Atalanta Operation of the EU and was supposed to approve subsidies for the hiring of private security guards, which apparently cost in excess of one million dollar per year. And last week, Spain's Defence Minister Chacón held a meeting with representatives of the industrial purse seiners, who demand that at least parts of these costs are covered by the state.

Some might be quick to connect these dots and call the work of El Mundo just lobbying for the Spanish fishing industry and their plan to receive covered subsidies, but what if the incident actually was true, actually even more serious developed and the guards later only wanted to cover it up with a media counter-spin, because something happened over which the cover of silence of the sea shall be spread in order not to question the deployment of armed private security guards on board of these vessel? Whom to trust out there?

Fact is that the Spanish cabinet last week approved the direct concession of up to 1.92 million million Euros in subsidy to the Spanish boats working in the Indian Ocean so that they can contract private security and buy arms.

The 17 Spanish-flagged, industrial fishing vessels operating out there are: Alakrana, Albacan, Albacora Cuatro, Albatun Dos, Campo Libre Alai, Elai Alai, Felipe Ruano, Izurdia, Playa de Anzoras, Playa de Aritzatxu, Txori Argi, Txori Gorri, Txori Toki, Alakrantxu, Ortube Berria, Archanda and Taraska - up by 8 to what was stated by the Spanish government earlier. And let us not forget all those Spanish vessels, which fly a flag of convenience. Together they form a commendable force over-exploiting the Indian Ocean under armed guard.

Fact is also that nearly 500 Somalis are reported missing at sea over the last two years since the maritime situation escalated - apart from those many more poor soles, who where on ill-fated refugee boats.