Italian Navy frigate ITS Carabiniere was presented with a UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (UNFAO) award for the protection it provided to an UNFAO vessel as it deployed Fishing Aggregation Devices (FADs).

The Operation Atalanta flagship ITS Carabiniere was on a port visit to Dar es Salaam when the Deputy Force Commander, Rear Admiral Jonas Wikström presented the award to the ship’s Commanding Officer, Commander Francesco Saladino.

Twenty five FADs were deployed at sea along the Somali coast in late 2015 under an UNFAO initiative; ITS Carabiniere provided escort protection during the process.

The devices are designed to enable local fishermen to maintain a viable income from fishing, helping the growth of Somalia’s domestic economy and providing local people with ways to be self-sustaining.

Working with the UN and Somali authorities, Operation Atalanta has contributed to the ongoing process of developing Somalia’s maritime capabilities. This has long-term benefits for the maritime security of the region.