The increasing number of migrants crossing Central Med has taken the EU to organize Operation SOPHIA to fight human smugglers and traffickers. The Spanish Navy is paying special attention to this area.

The NCAGS Cell operating in the Spanish Maritime Operations Centre (COVAM) in Cartagena monitors all Spanish ships in the area.

Services provided by the cooperation cell.

The COVAM compiles all information available on the activity of illegal activities groups within such area, issuing warnings and providing security information for all those vessels of Spanish interest which voluntarily join the cooperation system by sending a Format ALFA form.

Directions to those ships willing to join the cooperation system.

1. All Spanish flag ships planning to transit the aforementioned area are encouraged to join the cooperation system, by sending and receiving information to the COVAM on the security situation in the area. Whilst the cooperation is purely voluntary, all ships are invited to use this system, which has been established to improve their security in an area where pirate activity has increased significantly along the past months.

2. To do so, they must download the Format ALFA form and fill-in the MS Excel spreadsheet which is accessible from the link below.

DOWNLOAD FORMAT ALFA (MS EXCEL FORMAT):  Format ALFA in Excel format

Once completed, the file must be e-mailed to: at least 24 hours before entering the area.

Please enter the following text as subject for the e-mail: Format ALFA ATALANTA.

3. On receiving the Format ALFA, the COVAM will:

a. Contact the sender, providing him with a series of general security recommendations regarding his transit..

b. Send him all available information concerning illegal activities in the area.

c. Monitor the movements of the ship along her transit and, if applicable, send alerts whenever there is any evidence of an incident that may affect the vessel´s security.