SEYCHELLES TO ARM FISHING VESSELS, OFFERS ARMED PROTECTION TO SHIPPING
Information was received from Victoria yesterday that the government has in the face of a recent abduction by Somali ocean terrorists of two Seychellois fishermen stepped up the ante by granting armed escorts to all fishing boats under the national flag. Reportedly did Home Affairs Minister Joel Morgan also point to the fact that none of the foreign flagged fishing vessels with armed escorts on board had been hijacked and that in the past months any attempt to capture one of them was successfully repelled.
The Seychelles were the first country to actively and robustly engage the ocean terrorists and recaptured in the past hijacked vessels by using appropriate force, disabling and sinking pirate motherships and skiffs and bringing the criminals to swift justice in the courtrooms of Victoria.
New is that foreign vessels, bound for the Seychelles, may now also request armed guards to be flown to their previous port of call to join the ships for armed protection, at a cost that is, and will then also be accompanied to their next port of call after leaving the Seychelles, a strong commitment by the Seychelles government to protect their national interests which are threatened by ocean terrorists who pose a clear and present danger. The move was hailed by supporters of robust and determined responses against the menace while the usual cry babies have already voiced their concern over the escalation of force, yet have not ever come up with constructive countermeasures aimed to contain ocean terror or how to defeat it.
It is understood from a usually spot on source on Mahe that the offer for armed guards is also available for cruise ships wishing to call on Victoria harbour, in order to bring back the big ocean liners with their big revenues to the archipelago. A request has reportedly also been made to the Nepalese government to provide at least a company of the famous Ghurkas to the Seychelles which can be used to deploy alongside the regular Seychellois units already fighting ocean terror, and as the reputation as fearsome fighters precedes the Ghurkas also part of elite units in the UK armed forces the pirates would be well advised to think long and hard before attempting to incur the wrath and fierce mentality of such battle hardened men on board of ships. This correspondent can only welcome the move by the Seychelles government and encourage others to follow suit and and fight back. Watch this space.
