Salem-News.com Pirates articles Page 2

Update on Pirate Seized Vessels and Crews

Includes information from Somalia, Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean.

(NAIROBI, Kenya ECOTERRA) - Today, 17 February 2011, 21h00 UTC, at least 49 foreign vessels plus two barges are kept in Somali hands against the will of their owners, while at least 815 hostages or captives - including a South-African yachting couple - suffer to be released.

But even EU NAVFOR, who mostly only counts high-value, often British insured vessels, admitted now that dozens of vessels were sea-jacked despite their multi-million Euro efforts to protect shipping.

Leopard Crew Abducted

Although ships operated by Shipcraft, the Leopard's Danish operator, routinely carry nuclear items, this vessel is not believed to have any onboard.

(NAIROBI. Kenya) - The crew members of a Danish weapons ship boarded but not hijacked by pirates in the Indian Ocean have been kidnapped, TradeWinds revealed.

In what represents a major departure from Somali pirates' usual modus operandi, the six seafarers have been snatched and moved to a seized Taiwanese fishing vessel which is operating as a mothership.

German / US-Tanker to be Released by Somali Pirates

The fate of the crew of MT Marida Margeuerite still hangs in the balance.

(NAIROBI, Kenya ECOTERRA) - MT Marida Margeuerite ITE *was seized on the 8th day of this year. The vessel and crew were captured around 120 nm south of the Omani port of Salalah in the protected shipping corridor.

The German owner-managed, US-owner-registered chemical tanker of 13.273 dwt Marida Margeuerite (IMO 9445655) has a crew of 22 seamen, including 19 Indians, two Bangladeshi and one Ukrainian.'

Somalia Pirate Update

Status of Captured Vessels and Crews in Somalia, the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean.

(NAIROBI, Kenya ECOTERRA Intl.) - No matter what the navies say: Today, 16. December 2010, at least 36 foreign vessels plus one barge are kept in Somali hands against the will of their owners.

At the same time, at least 659 hostages or captives - including a South-African yachting couple - suffer to be released.

Bulker Sea-Jacked by Somali Sea-Shifta

he bulk carrier MV Renuar is at present commandeered to the Somali coast...

(NAIROBI, Kenya ECOTERRA Intl.) - A cargo vessel was captured on 11 December 2010, approximately 360nm SW of Minicoy Island, 1,200nm from Mogadishu in Somalia and 550nm off the Indian coast. Naval reporting centres finally confirmed our reports on Sunday.

The Panama-flagged MV Renuar is a bulk cargo vessel with a dead-weight of 70,156 tonnes and was en route to Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates from Port Louis in Mauritius when it was captured on Saturday.

Somalia: Update on South African Pirate Seized Yacht

Update on the status of the yacht FY Choizil.

(NAIROBI, Kenya) - It is now confirmed that a yacht seized off an island in Somalian waters is the one-mast sailing yacht SY Choizil.

The vessel's skipper skipper escaped, however Bruno Pelizzari with his partner Deborah, whose last name also was not available, are still held hostage.

Yacht Reportedly Captured Near Somalia

The yacht SY Choizil went missing off Bajuni Island of Koyaama at the Southern coast of Somalia.

(NAIROBI, Kenya) - As of today, at least 28 foreign vessels plus one barge are kept in Somali hands against the will of their owners, while at least 508 hostages or captives - including an elderly British yachting couple and the 5 new hostages from Somaliland.

Now information released by Ecoterra Intl. indicates that a report of a captured yacht, has been confirmed; though it leaves a number of questions.

Somalia Pirate Realities

Ecoterra has written many times about the tragedy western anti-piracy military operations represent. Their massive ships are ill-equipped to counter the small fast pirate vessels.

(SALEM, Ore.) - The group Ecoterra Int. that monitors pirate activity out of Nairobi, said that as of Friday night, at least 29, possibly 30 foreign vessels plus one barge, are in the hands of Somali pirates, being held against the will of their owners.

Along with the various ships, at least 519 hostages or captives - including an elderly British yachting couple and 5 new hostages from Somaliland are being held against thelr will by pirates, awaiting their eventual release.

Update on Pirate Activity in Somalia, Gulf of Aden & Indian Ocean

The latest from Ecoterra International.

(NAIROBI, Kenya) - Today, 24. October 2010, at least 27 foreign vessels plus one barge are still kept in Somali hands against the will of their owners.

This includes at least 485 hostages or captives - among them an elderly British yachting couple and the 5 new hostages from Somaliland. They all await their release.

Update on Pirate Seized Vessels in Somalia, Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean

(NAIROBI, Kenya) - Today, 11. October 2010, 21h00 UTC, still at least 26 foreign vessels plus one barge are kept in Somali hands against the will of their owners. This includes at least 454 hostages - including an elderly British yachting couple and the 5 new hostages from Somaliland - suffer to be released.

On 8. October only 17 ships with 369 hostages under duress, but obviously doesn't account for the smaller sea-jacked vessels from Yemen or Iran and other maybe considered less important countries, for which the European naval forces seem only to care.