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The ongoing surge in activity by Somali pirates continues to raise concerns, with a new warning that another group may be on the prowl for a merchant ship. It comes after at least three ships have been seized in less than a month, and several others have reported suspicious approaches or having to fire warning shots to scare off skiffs.
MSCIO (Maritime Security Centre Indian Ocean), maintained by the European Union, received reports that a dhow inbound for Kismayo, Somalia, was apparently seized on May 9. The vessel was reported to be off the southern coast. The security operation Atalanta has deployed assets to investigate the reports.
The seizure came just hours after MSCIO warned that another pirate action group was reported to be preparing to launch attacks in the region. The pirates are favoring seizing the small boats and using them as motherships to hunt for merchant ship targets. The small boats permit them to blend in with regional traffic.
MSCIO and Atalanta are renewing their calls for all vessels to increase security, especially within 150 nautical miles of the Somali coast between Mogadishu and Hafun. They are recommended that vessels avoid the region and the coast if possible.
The earlier warnings seemed to have some impact, with reports of increased vigilance by commercial shipping. The French news agency AFP reported during the week that one pirate group had abandoned a dhow because they had been unable to seize a merchant ship. They were said to be running low on supplies, and the report cited the increased vigilance by the ships as reducing the potential targets for the pirates.
Several ships have resorted to displaying their armed guards to the approaching skiffs. One report said the guards traded shorts with the potential boarders, and last weekend, another group said they had been forced to fire several warning shots. The skiff reportedly withdrew on May 2, but then, several hours later, there was an alert that pirates had boarded a small tanker. Operation ATALANTA assets later confirmed the hijacking of the tanker vessel Eureka, a 3,353-dwt vessel registered in Togo. It was believed that the tanker was being taken to the Somali coast, where another tanker and a general cargo ship are also being held.
Speculation is that the pirates have been encouraged to increase their activity in part by the war with Iran and the dramatic increase in fuel prices. Somali is also reporting fuel shortages, making the tankers potentially more lucrative prizes.
Fuente: Maritime Executive
