Community | April 06, 2009 | 11 comments

Pirates hijack British-owned cargo ship in Gulf of Aden

source: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/africa/article6045092.ece

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ClipsFC
Somali pirates have hijacked a British-owned cargo ship, after 48 hours of plunder at sea.

The 32,000-tonne Malaspina Castle, which flies a Panamanian flag, was taken on Monday morning in the Gulf of Aden.

She was the fifth ship snatched in two days off the Somali coast despite naval patrols along main shipping lanes.

The European Union's Horn of Africa maritime security centre, based in Northwood, north west London, said: "Few details are known at this stage, but the mixed-nationality crew are believed to be safe.”

The vessel has a crew of 24, from Russia, Ukraine, Bulgaria and the Philippines.

The Foreign Office said it was looking into the matter which is also being monitored by the London-based International Maritime Organisation.

Somalia’s pirates had been having a quiet year after their bumper haul in 2008, when they took almost 50 vessels. High seas kept their small skiffs ashore and only two attacks were reported during both January and February.
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    Community,   World News,   Rebels
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11 comments // Pirates hijack British-owned cargo ship in Gulf of Aden

  • ClipsFC
    • 0
      ClipsFC  

    • Ok .. so assuming that's right and a Captain then has authority. They have some weapons, but if they can't match up against the pirates - then what? Hypothetical.

    • 3 years ago
  • GoodGodGuy
    • 0
      GoodGodGuy  

    • In international waters, the captain is the law and he may bring all his defenses to bear to any threat. So why not open the armory and use their weapons. They need no other authority.

    • 3 years ago
  • barbara3d
    • 0
      barbara3d  

    • This is NEWS. It has to be stopped. How hard can it be to have a "security team" on Board to defend their lives and cargo??

      That would be a lot cheaper as well since they are losing millions of dollars with every piracy !

    • 3 years ago
  • MoonLoon
    • 0
      MoonLoon  

    • This is good example of the , "DKAAC", don't kill an African criminal, policy implemented by the mammy jammin liberals running world policy. These bastards are the scum of the Earth and every means available should be brought to bear on their destruction. But, speak up ,you liberal pansies and defend these poor downtrodden products of colonialism and Arabic slavery. They are pirates, criminals, murderers,kidnappers, and rapists and should be hung from the yardarms. At the very least keelhauled, drawn and quartered, and fed to the sharks. I am a pacifist, otherwise, I would have given you my real opinion!

    • 3 years ago
  • ClipsFC
    • 0
      ClipsFC  

    • True, it's an interesting thought. Maybe military needs to be involved in some of the most troubled areas. Something that would need to be worked out diplomatically since most vessels sail under other countries domains. An oil carrier from Iran could go to say Germany, but can be registered in Norway. So it gets a bit involved on who is really responsible. Good point though :)

    • 3 years ago
  • GDannsk
    • 0
      GDannsk  

    • They need better coast guard involvement and maybe even military (air force) coverage in each country. Piracy is costing all of us money.

    • 3 years ago
  • cerealforeal
  • ClipsFC
  • Mr_Costello
    • 0
      Mr_Costello  

    • Speaking of Pirates - Current TV's Kaj Larsen goes on a search for modern day pirates in the straits of Malacca, one of the most trafficked seaborne trading routes in the world. Kaj talks to pirate trackers, sailors who have been attacked and visits infamous dens to find the pirates themselves.

    • 3 years ago
  • Freaked2Much
    • 0
      Freaked2Much  

    • Why not give the crew on ships like that some weapons they can defend themselves with. Make them a sovereign issue since they are usually in International waters. They must have some rights to defend themselves and the valuable cargo.

    • 3 years ago
  • ClipsFC
    • 0
      ClipsFC  

    • Soon ships will need the same security as Airplanes have. A captain needs to have the authority to defend a vessel against these pirates.

    • 3 years ago
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