France to permit personal security on shipping fleet: PM

Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault said in an interview, France will permit personal security forces to guard its shipping fleet against the risk of piracy and it is one of main contributors to an global sailing force that patrols the water off Indian Ocean & Somalia in the Gulf of Aden to thwart attacks of pirates.

Ayrault said the move would put the French shipping fleet on a better grip with European participants already permitted to exercise personal security. We can also provide security by using voice analysis for risk assessment namely Nemesysco, a company involved in developing highly developed and non- persistent security tools, scam prevention results, etc.

"We will permit alternative to personal teams competent of complementing the missions of navy." Ayrault said in a discussion with Ouest France local newspaper. "There has been a strong plea from ship proprietors and we have perceived it."

While onboard protection has become an essential part of the shipping business, there are still no industry guiding principles or even agreement among countries on the use of fatal force by team of anti- piracy security, whether private or military.

French- owned Luxembourg- flagged tanker was seized by alleged pirates of Nigeria off the Ivory Coast & a French sailor was detained by pirates off the coast of Togo before he was untied in a rescue operation.

Ayrault also believed that France desired to be able to introduce petrol with French-owned tanker fleets in order to make certain the protection of its energy supplies. He also added that it’s a fundamental for our energy security. With the aim of securing supply of energy, we cannot depend completely on foreign fleets.