Status Of Seized Vessels And Crews In Somalia, The Gulf Of Aden And The Indian Ocean (ecoterra - 09. February 2011)
Status-Summary:
Today, 09. February 2011, 17h00 UTC, at least 48 foreign vessels plus two barges are kept in Somali hands against the
will of their owners, while at least 790 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.
Having come under pressure, EU NAVFOR's operation ATALANTA felt now compelled to publish their updated piracy facts for
those vessels, which EU NAVFOR admits had not been protected from pirates and were taken.
EU NAVFOR also admitted for the first time that actually a larger number of vessels and crews is held hostage than those
listed on their file.
Since EU NAVFOR's inception at the end of 2008 the piracy has started in earnest and it has now completely escalated.
Only knowledgeable analysts recognized the link.
Request the Somali Marine & Coastal Monitor from ECOTERRA Intl. for background info and see the situation map of the PIRACY COASTS OF SOMALIA.
ENDS