Ever Larger Hostage Ships Taken for Piracy Hunts (ecop-marine)
With more and more ship-owners resorting to a relaxed negotiation strategy if they are either well or not at all insured, and since the public is no longer shocked over the plight of hostage seafarers, pirates have changed strategy and use larger and larger vessels from their looted stock for piracy missions.
Newly sea-jacked FV SHIUH FU No.1, which shows on it’s side in large letters BI2256, was commandeered further southwards and was observed on 26. December 2010 heading south with an average speed of 10 knots at position 15°23’42.00"S, 52°14’45.60"E presumably on a piracy mission. After reaching on 27 December position 19°00’50.40"S, 52°39’25.20"E the vessel was turned around and was then observed again as heading north at position 18°37’30.00"S, 52°40’22.80"E.
It appears as if the vessel and pirate group are searching that area or are awaiting a specific prey.
At 13h03 UTC (10h03 local time) on 27 December 2010, a merchant vessel came under attack by a Pirate Action Group operating from sea-jacked MT MOTIVATOR acting as mother-ship in position 17 57.7N – 057 43.8E with course 175 at speed 5 kts. An ECOTERRA spokeswoman described the situation as extremely dangerous, because a collision or other mishap during such attacks could led to a disastrous oil spill from this vessel, which carries a huge load of lubrication oil.
At 13h37 UTC on 27 December a Pirate Action Group consisting of pirated vessel MV HANNIBAL II acting as mother-ship was reported in position Latitude: 15°10N Longitude: 056°22E with course 165 and speed 14 kts on a piracy mission.
At 23h40 UTC on 24 Dec the pirated MV IZUMI was reported in position 06°30 N – 052°18E, cruising 245° at a speed of 13 kts conducting mother-ship piracy operations.
Several other ships, especially from Yemen, Iran and India are likewise commandeered for further piracy actions. In all cases the abducted crews are abused as human shields.
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google news’ best kept secret: Find the latest anti-piracy updates HERE with case by case status and many detailed background reports.
No matter what some navies say in order to cover naval ineffectiveness:
Today, 27. December 2010, 20h30 UTC, at least 41 foreign vessels plus one barge are kept in Somali hands against the will of their owners, while at least 722 hostages or captives – including a South-African yachting couple – suffer to be released.
But even EU NAVFOR, who count only high-value, mostly British insured vessels, admitted that over 600 hostages are kept on the abducted vessels. Since EU NAVFOR’s inception two years ago the piracy has started in earnest and has now completely escalated. Only knowledgeable analysts recognized the link.
Request the Somali Marine & Coastal Monitor from ECOTERRA Intl. for background info and see the updated map of the PIRACY COASTS OF SOMALIA.
Anyone who doesn’t take truth seriously in small matters cannot be trusted in large ones either. – Albert Einstein –
ECOTERRA Intl. is an international nature protection and human rights organization, whose Africa offices in Somalia, Kenya and Tanzania also monitor the marine and maritime situation along the East African Indian Ocean coasts as well as the Gulf of Aden. ECOTERRA is working in Somalia since 1986 and does focus in its work against piracy mainly on coastal development, marine protection and pacification. ECOP-marine is an ECOTERRA group committed to fight against all forms of crime on the waters.
Contact us to support our work: office[AT]ecoterra-international.org