Good news came in three this week. Thor Nexus is released, the beleaguered Beluga Nomination is freed and Asphalt Venture is 'partially' set free. MT Irene SL, released by Somali pirates believed to be for a hefty payout - yet to be confirmed - is drifting off Mombasa; reason unknown. The Royal Australian Navy, HMAS Stuart, without any shots being fired rescued 3 hostages from a hijacked Yemeni-dhow, Al Shahar 75, capturing 15 Somali pirates and assorted weaponry, which was catalogued and disposed overboard. The unarmed pirates were released in a skiff with sufficient provisions to make nearest landfall Australian Navy.
The FBI has announced that it launched an unprecedented foray onto Somali soil to capture a man accused of being the negotiator in the ransoming of four US citizens held aboard the SV Quest. He is a new face in the piracy industry. Unlike the ragged young hijackers, he is college educated and speaks 5 languages. He has admitted to being the lead negotiator in the 13,000 ton Marida Marguerite ransom last year. Further details and more behind the scenes is available along with the indictment order here Somalia Report.
Indonesia is reportedly negotiating with pirates for the release of 22 hostages on the MV Sinar Kudus, taken last month Channel 6 News. Initial reports indicated that the first ransom demand was for about $9 million, as the Somali pirates declined an offer of $2.5 million. PT Samudra Indonesia then reportedly offered $6 million before reducing it again to $3.5 million. In the UK Daily Telegraph, Colin Freeman reports Somali pirates raise ransom stakes. Somalia's pirates are turning violent in the face of pressure from foreign navies - and proving as successful as ever - Telegraph . The report is largely supported by the International Maritime Bureau, the Global Piracy Reporting Centre, quarterly report. It states that attacks off the Somali coast have driven piracy to record high. In the first three months of 2011, with 142 attacks worldwide. The sharp rise was driven by a surge in piracy off the coast of Somalia, where 97 attacks were recorded in the first quarter of 2011, up from 35 in the same period last year IMB .
German insurers are to offer shipping firms the first special policy against war, piracy risks, according to adp news. Whilst in an updated article by BIMCO, the question raised asks is there a "Need for rethinking when to sail around the Cape of Good Hope to avoid piracy?" BIMCO. The South African Defence Minister states that piracy and not political instability in Zimbabwe, poses the biggest threat to southern Africa security Reuters. Shipping company, Maersk, meanwhile, hikes its piracy risk surcharges imposed earlier on containers moving between the Indian subcontinent, the Middle East, Europe and Central/South America, starting May 1, Journal of Commerce. The CEO of Norden, Mogens Hugo, says "let's boss the pirates" in a call for naval forces to "raise their game in the fight against piracy" Safewaters.
According to a recent report, 20 Canadians have joined Somali terror group, Al-Shabaab, a federal official said two weeks after a Toronto man was arrested as he was allegedly leaving to enlist in the al-Qaeda-linked terrorist group: National Post.
In terms of higher authority activity, the UN Security Council urgently considered plans for specialized Somali courts to try pirates. It also considers the peace conference held in Nairobi, Kenya focusing on the Somali government, TFG, progress to date and its continued mandate or the transition process UN.org.
In answer to criticism that flag states are failing to employ best practices to prevent pirate attacks, a ship register official has defended the accusations and has called for better information from anti-piracy agencies and operators. In a recent piracy workshop in the IMO headquarters in London, Arsenio Dominguez of Panama Shipping Register, said that flag states are sometimes aware of pirate attacks only from media reports and cannot take steps to improve onboard security and awareness without better feedback Safety4sea. In an attempt to highlight the need for better information sharing, the article "Solving The Somalia Piracy Situation", Information gadget and trends, points out that legislation and the combination of knowledge and expertise are two strategy to be addressed Information gadget and trends.
In a three-part series on the the pirate endemic, how imprisoned pirates state they will go back to piracy; how Somaliland is looking to combat piracy on land, and how multimillion-dollar criminal enterprise with sophisticated and professional syndicates are involved. The subjects covered include "Somaliland Struggles In Effort To Fight Piracy" NPR; "Catching Pirates With A Kind Of Neighborhood Watch" NPR, finishing with "Inside The Pirate Business: From Booty To Bonuses" NPR.
The Thor Nexus was released following a ransom drop of reportedly $5 million OCEANUSLive report. MV Beluga Nomination was after 12 weeks captivity and the harrowing experience of a failed rescue attempt which culminated in the death of crewmembers. There was some surprise at the release in view of the shipowners beleaguered situation OCEANUSLive report. The Asphalt Venture was freed by pirates following a ransom drop of reportedly $3.5 million, however, 7 of the all-Indian crew remain in pirate captivity, believed to be as a consequence of the pirates demands not being fully met. The vessel required tug assistance due to an unknown mechanical problem Somalia Report. The recently released MT Irene SL, reported to have been freed following the payment of a ransom in the region of over $13 million, which would be a record payout should it be confirmed, has been drifting off Mombasa, Kenya. There is some confusion surrounding the Greek-owned vessel as it has not yet asked for port clearance.
The piracy events in the Horn of Africa region over the last week are;
Hijack:
4 Unsuccessful Attacks: