Sunday January 4, 2026
Image for representation purposes only
Mogadishu (HOL) — Somali pirates hijacked a Chinese fishing vessel off the coast of Puntland on New Year’s Day, seizing the ship near the port town of Bandarbeyla in what regional officials say appears to be a ransom-driven attack.
The vessel, Liao Dong Yu 578, was taken in the afternoon, with pirates intending to hold the crew for payment, according to maritime security sources. The hijacking was later confirmed by the European Union Naval Force, which monitors shipping activity in the region.
Puntland authorities said security forces have launched an operation to locate the vessel and secure the release of the crew. No details were immediately available about the number or condition of those on board.
Dave Harvilicz, deputy secretary for cyber, infrastructure, risk and resilience policies at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, said the vessel had been engaged in illegal, unregulated and unreported fishing in Somali waters, a claim frequently made by Somali officials and international observers about foreign fishing fleets operating off the country’s coast.
Harvilicz said the ship was fishing for yellowfin tuna, a species whose stocks are under growing pressure. He warned that continued overfishing by Chinese and other foreign vessels risks collapsing tuna populations, with serious consequences for Somalia’s fishing industry and regional food security.
Illegal fishing has long been cited as one of the drivers of piracy off Somalia, with local fishermen accusing foreign trawlers of depleting marine resources and operating without licenses.
Piracy off Somalia surged in the late 2000s before declining sharply following international naval patrols and improved security on commercial vessels. However, recent hijackings have raised concerns about a potential resurgence, fueled by weak maritime enforcement and economic hardship along the coast.
For now, the fate of the Liao Dong Yu 578 and its crew remains unclear as Puntland forces continue their search.