52 private security guards have today been transferred by an Armed Forces plane from Madrid to the Seychelles, where they will be distributed amongst the 13 Spanish trawlers fishing off the coast of Somalia.

The decision to provide the trawlers with additional security was taken after a meeting between the main tuna fishing and frozen food trade unions, ANABAC and OPAGAC, with the defence minster Carme Chacón and the secretary of state for defence, Constantino Mendéz, to discuss the situation surrounding the hijacked trawler "Alakrana" and the safety of other fishing vessels in the area.

Once in the Seychelles, the guards, who all work for a Spanish security company, will board the Spanish fleet which is moored up and waiting for them in the Port of Victoria.

According to information provided by the trade unions, four fully-trained and armed security guards will board each trawler.  They are subject to NATO restrictions on the type of arms and calibre of ammunition they can use and are obliged by international law to make "limited use" of their firearms, with the sole purpose of "preventing possible attacks" and to "repel attacks using appropriate and proportionate force".

The "Alakrana", which was hijacked by Somali pirates on October 2nd,  remains under surveillance by the "Méndez Núñez" warship and the maritime surveillance aircraft P3-Orion. Two of the pirates, who were captured by a Spanish frigate after leaving the hijacked trawler, are currently under arrest in Spain, charged with illegal detention, criminal association and armed robbery.