06 September 2009

Spanish Fleet Narrowly Escapes Pirate Attack

Link to Article

The owners of a Spanish fishing fleet say one of their boats narrowly escaped a suspected pirate attack off the Seychelles by using radar and quick evasive action.

Jose Luis Jauregi, director of Echebastar Fleet, said Friday that the Alakrana tuna fishing ship set sail from the island's capital, Victoria, on Aug. 31 and was fishing in international waters about 600 miles from Somalia.

The Alakrana's crew of 30 detected a dot on the radar approaching them rapidly on Thursday and decided to zigzag. When they failed to break free of the powerful approaching speedboat, the captain ordered his ship to sail away at full power.

Pirate attacks worldwide more than doubled in the first half of 2009 amid a surge in the Gulf ofAden and off Somalia.

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