The government is considering sending more Maltese soldiers to take part in an EU, anti-piracy mission off the Somali coast.

Following a recent EU decision to extend Operation Atalanta by two years until the end of 2014, a government spokesman said that Malta would continue to take part in the mission, primarily through a fixed presence at the operation’s headquarters in the UK. It was also possible more troops would be deployed to take part directly in action in the troubled area.

“Malta intends to maintain a presence in the operation’s headquarters and is also considering the option of contributing further to this mission in the future with another vessel protection detachment (VPD),” the spokesman said.

Since the beginning of the operation at the end of 2008, Malta has constantly deployed an Armed Forces of Malta officer to the UK headquarters of the operation. The deployment lasts for six-month.

In 2010, a memorandum of understanding was signed with the Dutch Ministry of Defence that catered for a 12-person (two officers and 10 other ranks) Maltese VPD to serve on the Dutch naval vessel HNLMS Johan de Witt.

Malta last year extended its support by deploying a second VPD – also comprising 12 people – on board the Dutch naval vessel HNLMS Zuiderkruis.

In both cases, the detachment, together with the Dutch parent vessel, successfully protected World Food Programme and African Union-chartered shipping.

Piracy off the Somali coast has been a threat to international shipping since the beginning of the civil war in that country. Since 2005, many international bodies have expressed concern over the rise in acts of piracy that also contributed to an increase in shipping costs and hampered the delivery of food aid. Tens of ships, including Maltese-registered vessels, were hijacked by Somali pirates who then negotiated their release for a massive ransom.