In an effort to turn this situation around, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization with the support of its donors and the protection of the EU, launched an initiative in 2015 to deploy 25 Fish Aggregating Devices (FAD) to attract high value fish to the Somali shores.
Besides protection, EU NAVFOR Somalia provided security and logistical support using their equipment and know-how to rightly position these FADs.
"The FADs initiative is at the heart of the work by FAO and our partners to boost coastal livelihoods, strengthen resilience and tackle the underlying causes of piracy - Illegal fishing, degradation of local fisheries, high levels of youth unemployment, and food insecurity," said Richard Trenchard, former FAO representative in Somalia (2015).
Michele Cervone d'Urso, the European Union Head of Delegation and Ambassador to Somalia in 2015 described the FAD programme as a crucial addition to efforts to create employment in Somalia's piracy-affected areas:
"This is an integrated approach to creating long-term, sustainable employment opportunities to youth and women as alternatives to piracy and migration, by developing the value chains of the fishery and livestock sector within the coastal communities of Puntland, Galmudug and Banadir where traditionally communities have combined seasonal fishing and pastoral activities.
ESPS Numancia is currently inspecting the location and condition of the FADs to ensure its sustainable use and to secure the waters off the coast of Somalia
