Samenvatting

The objective of this research is to find out whether the mandate of the European Union Naval
Force (EUNAVFOR) Atalanta needs to be altered in order to respond to the changing business
model of Somali piracy. This business model has changed from one determined on receiving high revenues through ransom payments, into one that is now focussing on protecting companies that conduct illegal fishing operations in Somali territorial waters and thereby exploiting local Somali resources. In order to assess whether the mandate needs to be altered, secondary data like official reports from the United Nations, Operation Atalanta itself, and different institutions that are closely related to the issue of Somali piracy, were analysed and combined with the views of actors that were directly involved in this operation.
Authorities from the Royal Dutch Navy were interviewed and requested to give their opinion on
whether Operation Atalanta fully executes its mandate, and how Atalanta was performing its
mandate. Also, these authorities gave relevant information on how piracy operations were
conducted and how the naval operations were countering these activities. Similarly, an official
report from the Federal Ministry of Fishery and Marine Resources of Somalia was consulted in
order to gain a thorough view of how the Somali government thinks Operation Atalanta can be
improved and to what extent they are satisfied with the help they receive from Atalanta, who
supports Somali locals in fighting against illegal fisheries.
Since the start of Operation Atalanta in 2008, it has, in conjunction with Operation Ocean Shield of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), and Combined Task Force 151(CTF-151) of the United States, been very successful in reducing the acts of Somali piracy. In response to the mandate of Operation Atalanta, it is believed that the latter part of the mandate, which includes the monitoring of fishing activities off the Somali coast, is not being fully executed. Despite the fact that piracy off the Somali coast has been reduced to a minimum, several government officials suggest that the business model has only been fractured and not broken, and that piracy might return to the region. Therefore, it is recommended that Operation Atalanta should remain cooperating in conjunction with the other naval operations in order to maintain the repression, prevention and deterring of Somali piracy acts. Furthermore, Operation Atalanta should take a more active stance towards the limitation of illegal fishing in the Exclusive Economic Zone of Somalia, and should cooperate with Somali authorities in controlling and monitoring foreign fishing vessels in order to transmit sightings and control information of fisheries activities in the area. Overall, the operation has been a success, but the international community must remain vigilant about the Somali piracy issue.