A Spanish trawler was taken hostage by Somali pirate who demand a four million dollar ransom for the ship. Spanish fleet owners have asked for military personnel on their fishing vessels, arguing that their French counterparts have had marines on board since July. In the past few days the French marines have repelled attacks by suspected pirates against a total of four fishing vessels, giving weight to the Spanish demands.
The Spanish vessels has 36 crew members from Ghana, Indonesia, Madagascar, Senegal and the Seychelles as well as Spain, was far from a zone protected by the Spanish navy at the time of the attack. According to Spanish officials Madrid has said Spain cannot put marines on fishing trawlers, as France is doing, because Spanish law does not allow the military to be used for protecting private property.
It is said that last month Spain’s defence ministry did allow private security firms which protect Spanish fishing boats from Somali pirates in the Indian Ocean to use long-range weapons. The pirates holding the Alakrana also demanded, as a precondition of any deal, the release of two colleagues who are in Spanish custody.
Spanish Defence Minister Carme Chacon said she was not aware of the ransom demand. The latest hijacking brings to at least five the number of vessels in the hands of Somali pirates. The others include a Taiwanese fishing vessel and Ukrainian, German and Turkish freighters.
