Weekly Report: Friday December 9, 2011
Somalia Report maintains an extensive search-and-rescue database on hijacked ships, kidnapped crews, and land-based hostages. In an effort to clarify the often confusing and deliberately misleading information communicated by pirates, we publish a weekly update.
Piracy statistics
At least 14 ships (7 commercial vessels, 7 fishing vessels) and an estimated 262 hostages are in the control of Somali pirates, as well as an unknown number of small dhows typically hijacked for use as motherships. It was only a year ago that the pirates were steaming around in the Motivator striking fear into the heart of mariners. Ships like the Jahan Moni were being grabbed 550 kms off the coast of India and there were 25 vessels and over 600 hostages held by various pirate groups. A year later we see what might be the last gasps of unrestrained ocean piracy as pirates slowly shift into land-based kidnappers.
Several dozen of these hostages, including crew members from the MT Asphalt Venture, MV Orna, SY Choizil, MV Leopard, FV Prantalay 12, MT Gemini and tourist Judith Tebbutt are being held on land or on board other vessels. Four aid workers (two in the south and two in Puntland) appear to be held by pirates turned kidnappers. Yachters Bruno Pelizzari and Debbie Calitz remain as hostages.
Eleven Pakistani sailors remain abandoned in Adado. Released but destitute with no way to return home.
On the international front, the continual requests to defeat piracy but lack of actual land based action continue. The Seychelles invited the Chinese to set up an anti piracy base. Something that may spur other nations to actually get some Somali sand on their boots.
Hollywood is getting interested in pirates. Taking their cue from the international governments, they won't be landing in Somalia anytime soon. Tom Hanks (who will play Maersk Alabama Captain Richard Phillips in a March 2013 film) , Samuel L. Jackson (who will play Somalia Report's own Andrew Mwangura and others may (or may not) be bringing Somali pirates to the big screen soon. This new trend to may analogous to hiring Italians to play Indians in Westerns and the most ironic part is Hollywood may be spending more money on fighting pirates on film than Somali is in real life.
The region of Galmadug, where most of the pirated ships and pirates are now based, bravely insisted they had a plan to fight piracy but were a little short on dough to actually implement in. The President of Galmadug echoed that conundrum. Perhaps Hollywood could bankroll the plan in exchange for the film rights?
So far, estimated ransom payments in 2011 amount to $138.5 million for the release of 29 vessels and 25 hostages released independently of their ships. This amount is higher than last year at this time but with the distinct lack of success in capturing new ships and a quick review of the current inventory. There is no pot of gold over the pirate rainbow. Pirates, now left ashore with little to do, appear to be transitioning into simple thuggery and hell raising.
The other trend is the need for pirates to fib about ransoms, release of ships and general condition of the crew in an effort to knock money loose from fed up owners and negotiators. Although Somalia Report has projected lean times ahead, the pirates (who we talk to more than the maritime industry) can't seem to get it through their qhat addled heads. It's over.
The latest figures on armed robberies and pirate attacks reported to Somalia Report this week show that only one pirate incident was reported on a bulk carrier.
Malta flagged and Greek owned bulk carrier Atlantica was fired upon by pirates on December 4th while underway in position 20:39 north- 060:00 east approximately 62 nautical miles east of Kas Hilf, Masirah Island, Oman.
An armed security team aboard the 44,507 dwt bulker returned fire forcing the pirates to abort their attempt. This is becoming a common refrain with approximately 90 - 100% of all armed attacks being deterred by the presence of armed security guards.
Five Somali pirates were jailed in France for their role in the hijacking of a yacht in the Gulf of Aden in September 2008, in which a French couple were kidnapped and held hostage. The men were found guilty of hijacking, kidnapping and armed robbery and received prison sentences of between four and eight years; a sixth defendant was acquitted.
The Italian-owned and -flagged bulk carrier MV Rosalia D’Amato was released by pirates. The bulker, hijacked in the Indian Ocean on April 21 with a crew of 15 Filipinos and six Italians, was released on November 28 and escorted to Oman by an Italian naval vessel. Somali pirates also released a Singapore-owned and -flagged tanker MT Gemini.
The oil products taker was captured by pirates in April this year along with her 25-strong crew. Four South Korean crew members of the vessel are still kept captive in Somalia.
In the said one-week period Somalia Report received disturbing reports that one Indian and three Thai hostages may have died under yet to be determined circumstances.
Ground reports also indicate that the South African hostages Bruno Pelizzari and Debbie Calitz may be ill. They were captured by 12 heavily armed pirates on 26 October 2010 at the entrance to the Mozambique/ Madagascar Channel while underway to South Africa from Tanzania.
The hostage takers are currently demanding US $4 million for their release.
This amount had been dropped in March 2011, but was raised again after interference with negotiations.
Initially the gunmen were demanding US$ 10 million ransom money to secure the release of the couple.
The South African couple are being kept captive by a pirate group known as Shidane group under the financial support of Mohamed Hirsi of Saleeban clan.
Mohamed Hirsi was born and brought up in Mogadishu where e had some militia back-ground, he was sub-militia leader in lower Shabelle 1991-2006. This is the third time he has been involved in piracy activities.
In 2008 he was involved the capturing of the Ukrainian MV FAINA laden with military hardware, he was involved as militia preparatory. In that same year he was the leader in the kidnapping of Amanda Lindhout and Nigel Brennan, Canadian and Australian journalists. The journalists were kidnapped as they left a refugee camp in Afgoye.
The hostages are kept in a house in the Coastal town of the fishing town of Merka. The hostages are moved from one place to another place to avoid rescue attempts.
The guards for the two South Africans are comprised of 40- 50 militiamen and pirates who work in shifts of not more than 20 guards.
Some local elders and clan leaders from Habargidir are trying to facilitate for the negotiations to secure the release of the South African hostages. The healthy condition of the hostages is said to be very poor. Vera Hecht, Bruno's sister published a emotional request for the captives release in a South Africa paper this week. Saying simply, "We want our Bruno back".
Negotiations to secure their release are being carried by a South African based aid agency known as GIFT of the Givers Foundation and the captors.
Al-Shabaab is mediating the talks; while the South African based aid agency is representing the government of South Africa. What we are entering into is a new era in which mariners, aid workers and luckless westerners will be held ransom until organizations or strapped families can scrape together 6 figure payoffs. Somalia Report continues to track the location and movements of all these victims.
Please see the table below for the breakdown of how we arrived at this updated figure (note that since many of the figures quoted were given by pirates, who can exaggerate the ransom paid to drive up prices, the likelihood is that the real figure is smaller).
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Weekly Summary
The Singapore-owned and -flagged tanker MT Gemini sailed into Mombassa leaving four South Korean crew members behind in Somalia.
REVIEW OF SHIPS AND CREW CURRENTLY HELD BY PIRATES
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MV ICEBERG 1
Flag: Panama
Crew: 24
Taken March 29, 2010
For a detailed profile and background, please see our piracy report from June 3.
FV JELBUT 33
Flag: Yemeni (also called Abu al Fadl)
Crew: 8
Location: Bander Bayla
Taken: March 10, 2010
The fishing dhow is currently being used by pirates as mother ship. Held by the Qamaan Pirate Group.
FV PRANTALAY 12
Flag: Thailand
Crew: 25 (14 of whom have been released, and six of whom were reported to have died of an unspecified illness). The vessel sunk in the monsoon waves, and five of the crew are being held on land.
Taken: April 18, 2010.
For a detailed profile and background, please see our piracy report from June 3.
MV Olib G
Flag: Malta
Crew: 18
IMO: 8026608
Taken: September 8, 2010
For a detailed profile and background, please see our piracy report from June 17 .
There are several YouTube videos of the crew.
MV ALBEDO
Flag: Malaysia
Crew: 23
IMO: 9041162
Taken: November 26, 2010
For a detailed profile and background, please see our piracy report from July 1.
MV ORNA
Flag: Panama
Crew: 19 (18 Syrians and 1 Sri Lankan)
IMO: 8312162
Taken: December 20, 2010
For a detailed profile and background, please see our piracy report from July 15.
FV SHIUH FU No.1
Flag: Taiwan
Crew: 26
IMO: Fishing vessel, not registered
Taken: December 25, 2010
The Taiwanese fishing vessel FV SHIUH FU No. 1 was attacked on December 25, 2010 in the morning by a pirate skiff 138 miles off the north east tip of Madagascar.
For a detailed profile and background, please see our piracy report from July 22.
Crew of the MV Leopard
January 12, 2011
Six crew members (two Danish and four Pinoy) were taken from the MV Leopard after it was hijacked, although one is reported dead. The crew disabled the munitions carrying ship and a Turkish naval vessel boarded the ship to find it without crew. It was hijacked 200 miles off of Oman after dropping off its security crew. The crew members are being held on land and being ransomed with no clear resolution in sight.
For more information and background, please see our piracy report from July 8.
MV SAVINA CAYLYN
Flag: Italy
Crew: 22
IMO: 9489285
Taken: February 8, 2011
For a detailed profile and background, please see our piracy report from September 9.
FV ALFARDOUS
Flag: Yemen Crew: 8
IMO: Fishing vessel, not registered
Taken: February 13, 2011
Ransom wanted: $6 million
Pirate group: Fathi, under leadership of Diiriye Ranbow
Location: Dhinooda
Captors of the Yemeni-flagged and owned-fishing vessel FV Alfardous are demanding $6 million ransom money to secure the release of the vessel and her crew.
The vessel was attacked near Socotra Island in the Gulf of Aden on 13th February 2011. She was taken by pirates while steaming in position 12:00 North-053:02.1 East some 8 nautical miles south of Samhah Island, Yemen. The gunmen attacked and hijacked the fishing vessel and took hostage all eight crew members of the vessel. Military sources and local groups say that the fishing vessel is presently being used as a mother ship.
MT FAIRCHEM BOGEY
Flag: Marshall Islands
Crew: 21
IMO: 9423750
Taken: August 20, 2011
For more information, see our piracy report from September 23.
FV AL AIN
Crew: 13
Taken: August 27, 2011
MT LIQUID VELVET
Flag: Marshall Islands
Crew: 22
IMO: 9083940
Taken: October 31, 2011
FV ARIDE
Taken: October 30, 2011
Crew: 2 (nationality unknown)
Pirates claim the two crew members are tourists, but that seems unlikely.
FV JELBUT 31
Date of capture not known. "Jelbut" is a generic name given to this ship.
The fishing dhow was seen on June 10, 2011 disrupted by a German warship, which destroyed its skiffs and forced the mother ship to return to Somalia. It was seen again in August. The origin of the vessel is unknown, but EU NAVFOR believes it has eight hostages on board.
UNKNOWN FISHING VESSEL
An Iranian fishing dhow was taken around November 28, and is based in Bargal for use as a mothership. The name and crew of the vessel are not known.
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This list is compiled from various sources, including pirates, ship owners, maritime officials, anti-piracy groups, local communities, EU NAVFOR and NATO.