| Reported: 9 February 2025 | Position: 07° 55’N 49° 55’E |
| Location: Eyl, Somalia | |
Incident Details
EU NAVFOR (Op ATALANTA) reported that on 9 February, they were informed of a suspected pirate attack on a Yemeni-flagged fishing dhow off Eyl in northern Puntland, Somalia. They stated that the incident was under investigation.
Fig1. Approximate Location of Incident – Eyl, Somalia
Comment. This incident follows the recent news that a Chinese fishing vessel (FV) held by alleged pirates in northeast Puntland since November 2024 has been released. Locals said the vessel was taken in response to what they said was Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated (IUU) fishing activity in Somalian TTW. IUU fishing is recognised as being the precursor to the emergence of Piracy in the Indian Ocean, which peaked in 2011. There have been over 20 fishing vessels and 4 commercial vessels hijacked since a resurgence of Somali-based piracy began in November 2023.
Assessment. Open-source reports suggest the boarding of the Yemeni fishing vessel may be the work of an active Pirate Action Group, which could be operating in the Puntland area. However, this cannot be verified at present. It is also possible that the FV was taken by locals angered by alleged IUU fishing activity in their waters. We will provide further updates as more information is received. All vessels operating in the region should increase vigilance, familiarise themselves with the threat mitigation advice given in BMP 5 and consider the use of an armed security team when transiting the region.
