French frigate sinks Somalia pirate mother ship and skiffs

30.04.2010 A French patrol ship has sunk a pirate mother ship and two speedboats about 500 nautical miles from the coast of Somalia. On Thursday evening FS Nivoz stopped and searched the suspect flotilla. Finding on board the mother ship, a vessel that controls and resupplies pirate skiffs, pirate paraphernalia (weapons and grappling lines), the French moved the vessel's 11 crew to their ship and sank it along with the two skiffs. Meanwhile, Malta made its first contribution to the counter-piracy effort on Thursday when its naval unit helped escort a WFP steamer between the Somali ports of Bosaso and Berbera.