A Chinese tuna vessel is being held by pirates off the coast of Somalia – apparently after having been taken by the AK-47-toting guards who had been paid to protect it. Piracy incidents are reported to have seen a spike recently off Eastern Africa.
The EUNavFor Atalanta task force active in the Indian Ocean has been monitoring the situation where the Chinese vessel appears to have been kept within Somalia’s territorial waters under the control of the pirates.
The 18 crew are reported to be unharmed and as-yet unsuccessful negotiations have been taking place to secure the vessel’s release.
EUNavFor assets have been in the vicinity of the unnamed Chinese fishing vessel to establish situational awareness and gather information. The task force has been in permanent contact with both Chinese and Somali authorities, as well as with the Delegation of the European Union to Somalia as the situation develops.
Operation Atalanta has strongly recommended merchant and other vulnerable vessels to register in the MSCHOA’s Voluntary Registration Scheme (VRS), to provide the most effective monitoring and response by Atalanta forces and their partners in countering maritime security threats.
