Seychelles now established as anti-piracy hub |09 November 2009

Minister Joel Morgan, head of the High-level Committee on Piracy, stressed the country’s key role when he spoke at a press conference on Friday.

The UAV programme is a joint operation by the Seychelles and US governments in their efforts to counter piracy.

Mr Morgan, together with Craig White, public affairs officer from the US embassy in Mauritius, US army commander Gregory Hand and secretary of state Jean-Paul Adam, were among those watching the first of the three unmanned aircraft take off from the Islands Development Company’s hangar at Pointe Larue.

Also present were the Seychelles People’s Defence Forces (SPDF) chief Brigadier Leopold Payet and other officers.

Mr Morgan said the UAVs – also known as drones – will be able to monitor large areas and detect the presence of pirates who operate in small boats that are often difficult to spot.

“Seychelles has now been established as the hub for anti-piracy surveillance and actions,” he said.

“This surveillance activity will complement and reinforce the other military assistance we are already receiving, and it proves the commitment of the US to improve maritime safety and security in the western Indian Ocean.”

Mr Morgan said information from the unarmed drones will be transmitted directly to the SPDF and the Seychelles Coast Guard, enabling immediate action to be taken against the pirates.

And he added that intelligence information about the movement of pirates in our waters will also be passed on to the government so it can take other necessary measures.

“These US drones will enable a great amount of information to be obtained, and this will help in tracking the movements of the pirates and alerting passing vessels to the presence of such dangers,” said Mr Morgan.

He said we have only a limited national capacity to combat piracy, and with 1.3 million square kilometres of ocean as part of our exclusive economic zone (EEZ), the challenge we face is evident.

Mr Morgan said we have recently become more seriously threatened by the movement of pirates from the Gulf of Aden and the Horn of Africa down to the western Indian Ocean.

“We have become threatened both by the physical acts of taking ships hostage in our EEZ and by the economic impact of such crimes on the maritime sector, including merchant shipping, fisheries, cruises and the super yacht industry,” he added.

He explained that along with the international community and our regional partners, “we realised that the problem of piracy is complex and requires a wide range of resources including diplomacy, military capability, surveillance, information gathering and financial resources”.

He added that the Belgian defence minister will be in Seychelles for three days from today to sign agreements to reinforce their presence here and offer support.

Mr Morgan said the government has spent about R50 million since the start of this year to fight piracy through the various structures and resources that have been put in place.

He added that if there are people who are involved with pirates here, this is an act of treason, and serious action will be taken against them if there is any evidence.

The increased surveillance activity will also benefit other countries in the region, he said, rejecting allegations that Seychelles is being used as a hub for pirate activity.

Mr Morgan said that to step up the battle against pirates, the Attorney-general’s Office has produced a series of guidelines to establish what kind of evidence is needed to convict them, and the drones will help by providing photographic images.

Regarding the Seychellois Wilson Pilate from Union Vale, who is being held hostage on the Spanish fishing boat Alakrana, Mr Morgan said the Spanish government is leading the negotiations.

He said his office is in contact with the Spanish embassy in Nairobi to check on progress and added that Mr Pilate was well when he recently contacted his wife.

And the family support team, headed by Minister Vincent Meriton, are offering counselling.