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Pirates have terrorized the Horn of Africa for the last few years, but naval patrols are curbing some of their activities, USA Today reports. Attacks are down nearly 50 percent in the last year. Several countries deployed naval vessels to patrol the waters three years ago. The area includes the Somali Basin, the Gulf of …

NAIROBI — Raids on Somalia’s notorious pirate bases risk exacerbating the problem they are trying to solve as the coastal communities who host the bandits benefit little from ransom money, a report warned Thursday. “Pirates appear to be investing money principally in the main cities rather than in the coastal communities where pirate activity takes …

A Royal Navy ship has thwarted a pirate attack in the Gulf of Aden. RFA Fort Victoria- currently working on NATO’s counter-piracy operation ‘Ocean Shield- was alerted to a suspicious vessel heading towards shipping lanes in the area. Fears that the 12,000-tonne tanker Liquid Velvet was going to be used as a mothership to attack …

Pirates Claim $8 Million Ransom By VENETIA ARCHER Somalia Report sources have reported that MT FAIRCHEM BOGEY was released yesterday afternoon, for an estimated $8 million. The ransom is on the higher end of the spectrum of usual payouts, particularly for a vessel carrying just a partial load of methanol. Pirates are predisposed to exaggerating …

Copenhagen – A Danish shipping company Thursday expressed regret that a six-man crew abducted from one of its vessels was still held hostage a year later, adding that negotiations with the alleged Somali pirates so far had been ‘fruitless.’ ‘Unfortunately, the negotiations have been fruitless up until now due to the pirates’ unrealistic demand for …

Our friends at Solace Global Maritime carry the following report: A Report from Fairplay magazine suggests that premium and freight rates could fall over the next few months as the number of successful pirate hijackings continues to drop. Shipping lawyer Doug Burnett, a partner at New York firm Squire & Dempsey, predicted that insurance rates …

January 11 2012 The International Maritime Bureau reported in October 2011 that the number of attacks by Somali pirates reached an all-time high during the first nine months of 2011. In total, 199 ships were attacked, compared to 126 in the same period in 2010. However, the number of successful attacks decreased, with 24 ships …

BG sailors had a narrow escape in a bloody action The Bulgarian sailors rescued 18 hostages held in captivity by Somali pirates, The Standart learnt. The action unfolded in the ill-famed Gulf of Aden. A tugboat with Bulgarian crew joined in a rescue mission and helped to save lives of 15 Georgians and three Turks. …

Danish Shipowners’ Association is very pleased that the warship Absalon put a pirate mother ship out of the game, captured 25 pirates and freed the 14 hostages who were on board. “It’s a sign that efforts against piracy are working,” says Jan Fritz Hansen, vice president of Danish Shipowners. “It is the right strategy to …

New Delhi: It has been almost two years since sailors on board the MV Iceberg were taken hostage by Somali pirates. The parents of the six Indian sailors on board have said the government hasn’t done much to bring their children back home. Speaking to CNN-IBN, the parents of the sailor Dhiraj Tiwari said, “Since the …