Somali pirates have hijacked an illegal fishing trawler in the first successful hijacking in the region…
Somali pirates have hijacked an illegal fishing trawler in the first successful hijacking in the region in three years, reports and UN officials said on Thursday.
According to the Agence France-Presse (AFP), the Somali gangs seized an Iranian illegal fishing vessel off the coast of Somalia, especially the waters close to Mudug’s Ceel Huur village, citing a UN official.
“An Iranian vessel, fishing illegally in Somali waters, was hijacked earlier this week,” Head of UN’s office on Drugs and Crime, Alan Cole, was quoted by the French agency.
Authorities in Somalia are yet to confirm on the hijacking of the unidentified Iranian vessel, which might lead to the revival of Piracy in the war-ravaged nation’s sea and leaves concern on the maritime bodies.
The UN senior official went on to warn over the resurgence of the pirates.
The number of attacks by Somali pirates dropped sharply since 2012, largely because of an international naval effort. One of the other major factors that led to the decline of Piracy was the growing lack of support or even resistance to piracy operations by local communities. As much as many Somalis along the coast resented the international navies, they resented the effects of piracy on their communities even more.
Relative stability in Somalia in the past last three years after 20 years of chaos and war has raised hopes that it could lead to a more permanent solution to a problem that has driven up shipping insurance rates, but it has yet to solve the issue.
This first hijack of Somali pirates in three years comes as Somali fishermen have continuously complained of illegal fishing trawlers, leading them to lose their economic opportunities and opted to quit their jobs for safety reasons.
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