Captain of hijacked Taiwanese vessel killed by gunfire. Three pirates also killed as ship is sunk in clash with U.S. warship (via Somalia Report).
The hijacked long liner, Jih Chun Tsai 68, operating as a mothership by Somali pirates ran into the USS Stephen Groves in the Indian Ocean recently and was sunk.
The Taiwanese skipper and three pirates were also killed in an exchange of gunfire. Wu Lai Yu, the captain of the ill fated ship, had endured over a year of captivity after being hijacked in March 2010. What made the violent incident even more depressing was the recent deal struck by pirates and the captain's family in Taiwan.
Late in March of last year pirates attacked two Taiwanese fishing vessels southeast of Cape Guardafui off north east Somalia. The Jui Man Fa's crew which consisted of two Taiwanese and 12 Indonesians managed to escape capture, but the Jih Chun Tsai 68, with three Taiwanese and 11 Indonesian crew fell prey to the pirates. One Indonesian crewmember of the Jui Man Fa was hit in the thigh by a pirate bullet.
Although it could be argued that the Taiwanese were poaching, monetary gain is the real reason. Five other Taiwanese fishing ships have been captured and ransomed by pirates.
The FV Jih Chun Tsai 68 was captained by a Taiwanese and part of a fleet of Taiwanese fishing ships known to poach tuna using long lines in the region.
A ransom was paid for the release of the ship and crew, but allegedly intercepted resulting in the lengthy incarceration of the crew. The 27-meter long vessel is registered in Kaohsiung and was owned by the captain. The remaining two Chinese crewmen were rescued.
Somalia Report went on to state that the story of the
Jih Chun Tsai 68, the second longest hijacked ship in captivity, is convoluted. Around March 19, 2011, 10 Indonesian sailors from the Taiwanese fishing vessel
Jih Chun Tsai 68 were exchanged with a
USS Hamilton in a deal to return the body of a Somali pirate from
VLCC Irene SL who had been seriously wounded earlier, was then handed to the naval ship for emergency surgery. The Somali pirate died on the operation table.
The 10 Indonesian crew members of the FV Jih Chun Tsai 68 were taken to the USS Hamilton and then they were flown back home. This left behind four crew members - one Indonesian, two Chinese and the Taiwanese master of the vessel aboard and held captive.
Around April 24, NATO reported that USS Stephen W Groves intercepted the hijacked Kuwaiti tanker Zirku, the Italian bulker Rosalia D’Amato and the Taiwanese fishing vessel Jih Chun Tsai 68, as well as two unmanned skiffs, about 100 nautical miles off the Somali coast.
“The NATO warship ordered the pirates to cut loose the mother ship Jih Chun Tsai 68 and skiffs,” it said in a statement. “As the pirates did not comply, warning shots were fired, and when they too were ignored, the unmanned skiffs were destroyed.”
As the frigate then moved closer, pirates fired at the naval vessel. The warship then returned fire before moving away “to deescalate the situation and not endanger the innocent hostages on board the pirated ships”.
About May 12, the master of the hijacked Taiwanese fishing vessel Jih Chun Tsai 68 and three pirates were killed and two crew members wounded in a gunfight with the USS Stephen W Groves.
A boarding team from the US frigate found the bodies of the master of the fishing vessel Capt. Wu Lai Yu on the vessel, as well as two wounded seafarers, while the surviving pirates were returned to Somalia.
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