Fishermen from the Seychelles kept hostage by Somali pirates
Somali pirates captured two Seychellois fishermen, Ronny Tambara, 70, and Marc Songoire, 63, who were fishing in Seychelles waters, 60 miles from the island of Mahé at the beginning of November 2011. The two artisanal fishermen are still kept hostage somewhere in Somalia.
Commissioner Damanaki stated: "I want to make a strong appeal for the release of two Seychellois fishermen, Ronny Tambara and Marc Songoire, who have been kept hostage by Somali pirates for four months now." She also underlined that "We must do our utmost to eradicate the scourge of piracy. The European Union has a key role to play in that respect and is committed to use all instruments at its disposal. Even through the network of Fisheries Partnership Agreements, which strengthens our relations with the countries in the Western Indian Ocean area, and the regional surveillance programme that we are financing,we are aiming to make a significant contribution to that end."
