Indian Navy Prevents Pirate Attack in Gulf of Aden
AP-Monday, December 07, 2009
NEW DELHI — The Indian navy said Monday it thwarted a pirate attack on a Norwegian tanker in the Gulf of Aden off the coast of Somalia.
An Indian warship patrolling the seas responded to a distress call from the tanker belonging to the Nordic American Tanker Company after it was fired upon by pirates, said P.V.S. Satish, the navy spokesman in New Delhi.
A helicopter immediately took off from the warship and foiled the pirates' attempt, Satish said. Other details were not immediately available.
The Gulf of Aden is one of the world's most important shipping lanes, crossed by 20,000 vessels a year, and a prime target for Somali pirates.
Indian warships have been escorting merchant ships as part of anti-piracy surveillance in the area since last year.
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Monday, December 7, 2009
Int'l Maritime Orgamization:
PIRACY AND ARMED ROBBERY AGAINST SHIPS
Recommendations to Governments for preventing and suppressing piracy
and armed robbery against ships
PIRACY AND ARMED ROBBERY AGAINST SHIPS
Recommendations to Governments for preventing and suppressing piracy
and armed robbery against ships
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Pirates Holding 11 Ships, 264 Sailors Off Somalia (Update1)
By Sarah McGregor
Dec. 1 (Bloomberg) -- Pirates operating off Somalia’s coast are holding 11 ships and 264 sailors, said Rear Admiral Peter Hudson of the U.K.’s Royal Navy, commander of the European Union’s anti-piracy mission.
The latest seizure, that of Greek-owned supertanker Maran Centaurus “is illustrative of the problems of protecting and policing an area of the world’s ocean that amounts to one million square miles (1.6 million square kilometers),” Hudson told reporters today in Nairobi, Kenya’s capital. “The forces at my disposal do not allow us to close down every single pirate group that operates over such an expanse,” Hudson said.
The 300,000 metric-ton Centaurus was taken by pirates off Somalia on Nov. 29 while heading to the U.S. from Jeddah in Saudi Arabia, EU Navfor, as the naval mission is known, said in a statement posted on its Web site yesterday. The tanker is believed to be heading toward the Somali coast, Hudson said.
The vessel and its 28-man crew from Greece, the Philippines, Ukraine and Romania, were captured in the Somali Basin about 600 nautical miles northeast of the Seychelles, EU Navfor said.
Maran Centaurus is owned by Anangel Shipping Enterprises SA, according to Lloyd’s Register-Fairplay data on Bloomberg.
“What we have seen are vessels going ever further off the coast as we see a reduction off the Gulf of Aden, a reduction close to Somalia. The forces that we have at our disposal see the pirates getting more adventurous and having to go further,” Hudson said.
To contact the reporters on this story: Sarah McGregor in Nairobi at Smcgregor5@bloomberg.net
Last Updated: December 1, 2009 08:52 EST
By Sarah McGregor
Dec. 1 (Bloomberg) -- Pirates operating off Somalia’s coast are holding 11 ships and 264 sailors, said Rear Admiral Peter Hudson of the U.K.’s Royal Navy, commander of the European Union’s anti-piracy mission.
The latest seizure, that of Greek-owned supertanker Maran Centaurus “is illustrative of the problems of protecting and policing an area of the world’s ocean that amounts to one million square miles (1.6 million square kilometers),” Hudson told reporters today in Nairobi, Kenya’s capital. “The forces at my disposal do not allow us to close down every single pirate group that operates over such an expanse,” Hudson said.
The 300,000 metric-ton Centaurus was taken by pirates off Somalia on Nov. 29 while heading to the U.S. from Jeddah in Saudi Arabia, EU Navfor, as the naval mission is known, said in a statement posted on its Web site yesterday. The tanker is believed to be heading toward the Somali coast, Hudson said.
The vessel and its 28-man crew from Greece, the Philippines, Ukraine and Romania, were captured in the Somali Basin about 600 nautical miles northeast of the Seychelles, EU Navfor said.
Maran Centaurus is owned by Anangel Shipping Enterprises SA, according to Lloyd’s Register-Fairplay data on Bloomberg.
“What we have seen are vessels going ever further off the coast as we see a reduction off the Gulf of Aden, a reduction close to Somalia. The forces that we have at our disposal see the pirates getting more adventurous and having to go further,” Hudson said.
To contact the reporters on this story: Sarah McGregor in Nairobi at Smcgregor5@bloomberg.net
Last Updated: December 1, 2009 08:52 EST
Guyana Fisherman Drowns After Pirates Attack Boat
GEORGETOWN, Guyana — Authorities say a Guyanese fisherman drowned when he fell overboard during a pirate attack and became pinned between two boats.
Police spokesman Ivelaw Whittaker says two pirates armed with a shotgun and machete attacked Satrohan Persaud's boat near neighboring Suriname. He said Monday that the pirates stole fuel, fish and fishing equipment before attacking other boats.
Officials in the South American country have urged fishermen to install radios on their boats to alert police about attacks.
Lawmakers have sought tougher penalties for piracy as attacks on small boats have increased in recent months.
Police say the 53-year-old man died Sunday.
GEORGETOWN, Guyana — Authorities say a Guyanese fisherman drowned when he fell overboard during a pirate attack and became pinned between two boats.
Police spokesman Ivelaw Whittaker says two pirates armed with a shotgun and machete attacked Satrohan Persaud's boat near neighboring Suriname. He said Monday that the pirates stole fuel, fish and fishing equipment before attacking other boats.
Officials in the South American country have urged fishermen to install radios on their boats to alert police about attacks.
Lawmakers have sought tougher penalties for piracy as attacks on small boats have increased in recent months.
Police say the 53-year-old man died Sunday.
Tuna vessel fires back at pirates
A private security team embarked on a Spanish tuna vessel yesterday fired back on two pirate skiffs which then broke off their attack.
According to a Spanish government statement, at 5.40 AM Spanish time, November 29, 2009, Spain's Center for Maritime Surveillance Operations was notified that the fishing OrtubŽ Berria Spanish flag was being attacked by suspected pirates.
The attack was confirmed by telephone by the master of OrtubŽ Berria, who reported the following facts: On November 29th, about 5.37 Spanish time, two skiffs attacked the vessel 230 nautical miles southwest of the Seychelles. The pirates opened fire with light weapons and RPG grenade. After 30 minutes of chase, the attack was repelled by the private security team on board, who made use of their weapons.
Operation Atalanta (TF 465) has sent the Portuguese frigate Alvares Cabral to the area together with maritime patrol aircraft based in the Seychelles Islands.
A private security team embarked on a Spanish tuna vessel yesterday fired back on two pirate skiffs which then broke off their attack.
According to a Spanish government statement, at 5.40 AM Spanish time, November 29, 2009, Spain's Center for Maritime Surveillance Operations was notified that the fishing OrtubŽ Berria Spanish flag was being attacked by suspected pirates.
The attack was confirmed by telephone by the master of OrtubŽ Berria, who reported the following facts: On November 29th, about 5.37 Spanish time, two skiffs attacked the vessel 230 nautical miles southwest of the Seychelles. The pirates opened fire with light weapons and RPG grenade. After 30 minutes of chase, the attack was repelled by the private security team on board, who made use of their weapons.
Operation Atalanta (TF 465) has sent the Portuguese frigate Alvares Cabral to the area together with maritime patrol aircraft based in the Seychelles Islands.
Pirate Exhibit in Norfolk Taps Into Pirate Craze
In seafaring Norfolk, exhibit looks at 'Golden Age of Piracy' and taps into pirate craze
By STEVE SZKOTAK Associated Press WriterNORFOLK, Va. November 30, 2009 (AP)
Growing up on Cape Cod, explorer Barry Clifford was fascinated by the romantic tale of "Black Sam" Bellamy. Sailing to Massachusetts to rendezvous with his mistress, the pirate encountered a nor'easter that sent him, most of his crew, and tons of gold, silver and jewels to the ocean's bottom.
The lore launched Clifford on a life of treasure-hunting — including the discovery in 1984 of the Whydah, Bellamy's treasure-laden three-master, which sank off of Wellfleet, Mass., on April 26, 1717.
"I was looking for treasure, and I found it," Clifford, 64, said. "More treasure than I could have ever imagined. The whole bottom was layered with it." More...
In seafaring Norfolk, exhibit looks at 'Golden Age of Piracy' and taps into pirate craze
By STEVE SZKOTAK Associated Press WriterNORFOLK, Va. November 30, 2009 (AP)
Growing up on Cape Cod, explorer Barry Clifford was fascinated by the romantic tale of "Black Sam" Bellamy. Sailing to Massachusetts to rendezvous with his mistress, the pirate encountered a nor'easter that sent him, most of his crew, and tons of gold, silver and jewels to the ocean's bottom.
The lore launched Clifford on a life of treasure-hunting — including the discovery in 1984 of the Whydah, Bellamy's treasure-laden three-master, which sank off of Wellfleet, Mass., on April 26, 1717.
"I was looking for treasure, and I found it," Clifford, 64, said. "More treasure than I could have ever imagined. The whole bottom was layered with it." More...
Somali Pirates Seize U.S.-Bound Tanker
By JEFFREY GETTLEMAN NAIROBI, Kenya — Somali pirates have struck again, this time seizing an enormous oil tanker heading to the United States, naval authorities said on Monday. According to European naval reports, nine pirates hijacked the tanker 600 miles offshore and headed back to one of their notorious lairs in central Somalia.
The tanker is listed at 300,000 tons and may be one of the biggest ships ever taken.
The Somali pirate business appears to be back in full swing after a brief lull this summer that some people mistakenly attributed to the increased naval patrols but in reality was more likely because of the monsoon season. Now that the seas are calm, the pirates are striking with impunity again.
“They have definitely increased their capacity and their ability to stay out at sea for longer,” said Cyrus Mody, manager of the International Maritime Bureau in London. He said this gave them “the reach and the capability.” The pirates, who are often penniless former fishermen from Somalia’s war zones, appeared to be using so-called mother ships to position themselves in the middle of the ocean and attack vessels hundreds of miles away. From the mother ships they deploy motorized dinghies.
The pirates are focusing on the vast stretch of ocean between the African mainland and Seychelles, a set of picturesque islands best known for their beaches. In the past two months, 38 ships have been attacked and 10 hijacked, the International Maritime Bureau said. This continues despite a hefty naval presence, with an average of 20 warships per day cruising off Somalia’s coast.
Still, American officials said, it is not enough. “It’s 2.5 million square miles we’re dealing with,” said Lt. Matt Allen, a spokesman for United States Navy’s Fifth Fleet, based in Bahrain. “It’s a very large area. It’s a daunting task.”
The pirates seem to have shifted their hunt from the Gulf of Aden, where dozens of ships were attacked in 2008 but which is now heavily patrolled, to the southern waters near Seychelles. That is where a British couple taking the trip of a lifetime were recently hijacked in their sailboat. Their kidnappers have threatened to kill them unless a seven-figure ransom is paid.
Cash like this seems to be drawing more and more Somalis into the business. Piracy used to be dominated by two clans, the Saleban, based in Xarardheere, and the Majeerten, who brought hijacked ships back to a small beach town called Eyl. Now, according to witnesses in Somalia, many other clans are involved, even Bantus, a minority group best known as farmers.
It is not clear who seized the oil tanker, which was hijacked on Sunday, though the news was not released until Monday.
According to European naval officials, the ship is owned by a Greek company and was heading to New Orleans from Jidda, Saudi Arabia. Its crew included Greeks, Filipinos, Ukrainians and a Romanian.
Maritime officials said the ship was similar in size to the Sirius Star, a tanker hijacked last year that was ransomed for $3 million.
By JEFFREY GETTLEMAN NAIROBI, Kenya — Somali pirates have struck again, this time seizing an enormous oil tanker heading to the United States, naval authorities said on Monday. According to European naval reports, nine pirates hijacked the tanker 600 miles offshore and headed back to one of their notorious lairs in central Somalia.
The tanker is listed at 300,000 tons and may be one of the biggest ships ever taken.
The Somali pirate business appears to be back in full swing after a brief lull this summer that some people mistakenly attributed to the increased naval patrols but in reality was more likely because of the monsoon season. Now that the seas are calm, the pirates are striking with impunity again.
“They have definitely increased their capacity and their ability to stay out at sea for longer,” said Cyrus Mody, manager of the International Maritime Bureau in London. He said this gave them “the reach and the capability.” The pirates, who are often penniless former fishermen from Somalia’s war zones, appeared to be using so-called mother ships to position themselves in the middle of the ocean and attack vessels hundreds of miles away. From the mother ships they deploy motorized dinghies.
The pirates are focusing on the vast stretch of ocean between the African mainland and Seychelles, a set of picturesque islands best known for their beaches. In the past two months, 38 ships have been attacked and 10 hijacked, the International Maritime Bureau said. This continues despite a hefty naval presence, with an average of 20 warships per day cruising off Somalia’s coast.
Still, American officials said, it is not enough. “It’s 2.5 million square miles we’re dealing with,” said Lt. Matt Allen, a spokesman for United States Navy’s Fifth Fleet, based in Bahrain. “It’s a very large area. It’s a daunting task.”
The pirates seem to have shifted their hunt from the Gulf of Aden, where dozens of ships were attacked in 2008 but which is now heavily patrolled, to the southern waters near Seychelles. That is where a British couple taking the trip of a lifetime were recently hijacked in their sailboat. Their kidnappers have threatened to kill them unless a seven-figure ransom is paid.
Cash like this seems to be drawing more and more Somalis into the business. Piracy used to be dominated by two clans, the Saleban, based in Xarardheere, and the Majeerten, who brought hijacked ships back to a small beach town called Eyl. Now, according to witnesses in Somalia, many other clans are involved, even Bantus, a minority group best known as farmers.
It is not clear who seized the oil tanker, which was hijacked on Sunday, though the news was not released until Monday.
According to European naval officials, the ship is owned by a Greek company and was heading to New Orleans from Jidda, Saudi Arabia. Its crew included Greeks, Filipinos, Ukrainians and a Romanian.
Maritime officials said the ship was similar in size to the Sirius Star, a tanker hijacked last year that was ransomed for $3 million.
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