Monday, June 14, 2010
Andrew Mwangura, East Africa's Coordinator of Seafarers Assistance Program (SAP), said the latest are shocking statistics of hijacks by pirates in the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean, off the Somali Coast.
According to the independent organization that strives for the welfare of seafarers and also a piracy monitoring group, the report details the highest number of piracy hijacks in history since January this year.
"What is needed is land-based piracy measures that would seek to address the root cause of piracy," the regional maritime official said.
Mwangura said some of the hijacked ships are being used as mother ships by the pirates to launch attacks on other vessels while others are at the Puntland Coastline, Hobyo, and Garacaad.
He said the crew comprises nationals from Vietnam, Turkey, India, Indonesia, Philippines, Kenya, Tanzania, Ukrain, Mozambique, Senegal, Yemen, Britain, Poland, Maynmar, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Bulgaria, Thailand, Greece, among others
"It was only the UK flagged Lynn Rival, a yatch which had two crew, that was abandoned by the pirates last year in October after being held for 224 days and later picked by the British Royal Navy, " he said.
The official added that four general cargo ships and fishing vessels have been recently released since February 3 to June 2 this year after they were either freed by Puntland forces, Yemeni Coast-guards, or released by pirates in exchange of ransom money.
One of the Kenya flagged fishing vessels, MV Sakoba, was hijacked on March 6 this year, with 16 crew members and is currently being used as a mother ship, according to Mwangura.
Last week, the officials raised concerns over the government's intention to denounce the ship, saying it would expose the crewmen to harm, since the pirates will have more powers over the vessel.
All the vessels, he noted, were either for fishing, bulk carriers, chemical, product, general cargo, crude oil tankers and car carriers.
Pirate attacks off the Somali coast have continued despite the presence of several warships deployed by navies of the NATO, the European Union countries and other countries in the region to protect cargo and cruise ships against piracy.
Attacks in the region began to soar last year as Somali pirates, long active in these waters, started venturing farther from shore and going after bigger game.
Kenya shares its southern border with Somalia, whose coastline has been infected with piracy in recent years.
More than 130 pirate attacks were reported in the waters off Somalia since the beginning of last year.