Saturday, January 29, 2011
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MOGADISHU - Somali pirates have freed a Taiwanese fishing vessel seized last May with 28 crew aboard, the European Union anti-piracy force said on Friday.EU Navfor said in a statement that while direct contact with the crew of the Tai Juan 227 had not been possible, the owner had received a call from the ship's master saying they had been released.
It said the vessel was now heading away from Somalia.
Pirate attacks on ships worldwide hit a seven-year high in 2010 and a record number of crew were taken hostage, despite increased patrolling of the seas.
Somalia remained the biggest problem with pirates operating off the country's shore accounting for 49 of the 52 ships seized last year, the International Maritime Bureau in Kuala Lumpur said earlier this month.
Source: Reuters