Kidnapped British Man Speaks Out About Pirate Yacht Raid - FOXNews

Kidnapped British Man Speaks Out About Pirate Yacht Raid - FOXNews: "

Times Online

Kidnapped British Man Speaks Out About Pirate Yacht Raid FOXNews A British man has told how armed Somali pirates kidnapped him and his wife as they slept aboard the yacht they were sailing in the Indian Ocean, ... Yacht man tells of pirate kidnapBBC News Somali Pirates Warn UK Against Yacht RescueNew York Times British yachtsman: 'We're being held hostage by pirates'CNN International Christian Science Monitor -Times Online -Bloomberg all 1,832 news articles »

Bloomberg: Somali Pirates Attack, Board Thai Vessel, EU Naval Force Says

Somali pirates in two skiffs attacked and then boarded a Thai-flagged fishing vessel, the Thai Union 3, north of Seychelles and off the coast of Somalia, the European Union Naval Force said.

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BBC: Somalia to 'purge piracy by 2011'

Somalia's prime minister has said his government will eradicate piracy off its coast within the next two years.

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Somali pirates threaten to kill British couple - Telegraph.co.uk

Somali pirates threaten to kill British couple - Telegraph.co.uk: "

Telegraph.co.uk

Somali pirates threaten to kill British couple Telegraph.co.uk Somali pirates who captured a retired couple on a sailing trip around the Indian Ocean have threatened to kill them if a rescue attempt is launched. ... Pirate Claims Kidnapping of British CoupleABC News Somali pirates say they have British couple hostageChristian Science Monitor British couple feared kidnapped by piratesBoston Globe New Zealand Herald -ChattahBox all 911 news articles »

Reuters: Somali pirates warn Britain against yacht rescue

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AP: Somali pirates detained after firing on vessel

Somali pirates exchanged fire with a French fishing vessel on Wednesday and after speeding away were later stopped and detained by Spanish and German naval units, said the European Union anti-piracy force.

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BBC: Somali piracy's economic impact

The news that Somali pirates say they have seized a yacht carrying a British couple means another incident will probably have to be added to a growing list.

In fact, there has been a dramatic increase in that list this year.

New figures from the International Maritime Bureau's Piracy Reporting Centre show that this year already exceeds the whole of 2008 for attacks, and it says the increase is down to activity off the Somali coast.

And it's not just huge tankers now but small ships which are being taken for ransom.

So what impact is this increase in attacks having on the global shipping industry?

or here.

AFP: Somali pirates holding British couple

Somali pirates confirmed Wednesday they had hijacked a yacht carrying a British couple thought to be Paul Chandler, 58, and his wife Rachel, 55, adding that the two hostages were in good health.

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Pirates pose threat to private yachts

Vast cargo ships and supertankers are the vessels most highly prized by the pirates who operate off the coast of Somalia, but a number of privately owned yachts have also fallen victim to them.

Le Ponant was seized off the coast of Somalia. Photograph: French defence ministry/AFP/Getty Images

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Times of India: Negotiator to engage Somali pirates

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China in Talks With Pirates Holding Crew Off Somalia, SCMP Says

China is involved in secret negotiations with pirates holding the crew of 25 from a bulk carrier off Somalia, the South China Morning Post said, citing the secretary general of the Chinese Shipowners’ Association.
Beijing and Qindao Ocean Shipping, the owner of the hijacked vessel, is in discussions with the captors, who made it clear they have no intention to harm the crew and the goods on board, they just want a ransom, Zhang Zuyue said, according to the report in the Morning Post today.

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Pirates held after attack on French fishing boat: EU

European Union warships have captured seven suspected pirates off the coast of Somalia after two fast boats attacked a French fishing vessel, the EU's naval force said Wednesday

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Somali piracy threat in the Indian Ocean - a timeline

A list of some previous high-profile incidents of piracy involving commercial and private vessels near to the Horn of Africa.

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Counter Piracy Commanders meet in Gulf of Aden

The Commanding Officers of the three largest Counter Piracy Task Forces in the Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean met on board the EU NAVFOR flagship HNLMS Evertsen on October 26 in the International Recognized Transit Corridor in the Gulf of Aden, one of the world’s busiest shipping routes between the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean.

(and they had time for a little photo op)

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Times of India: No word yet from hijacked Al Khaliq

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Navy to deploy two warships to curb piracy in Indian Ocean (via Sindh Today)

Mumbai, Oct.27 (ANI): The Indian Navy has reportedly decided to deploy two warships in the Indian Ocean area to counter the threat from Somali pirates.

According to sources, the warships will be deployed near Mauritius and the Seychelles.

A private channel quoted Captain Manohar Nambiar, Chief PRO, Defence (Western Region), as saying: ‘We can confirm to you that the Indian Navy now has a presence in that region. We can not speak much about operations there, but yes, our ships are into surveillance activities. This is apart from our ship already patrolling the Gulf of Aden.’

The INS Tabar, a warship sent last year to counter the pirates of Somalia, will be deployed. Joining the Tabar will be the INS Shardul, a fully armed amphibious ship which can carry more than 500 troops, and the ICGS Varuna, an offshore patrol vessel armed to the teeth. The Varuna can travel 4000 nautical miles at a stretch, enough to go around the world.

The deployment of warships is being undertaken in the wake of Somali pirates kidnapping over 100 Indian citizens in raids on the high seas. (ANI)
[NF]

TIME: How China Is Battling Its Pirate Problem

When Somali pirates hijacked a Chinese fishing boat in the Indian Ocean last November, there was little that China could do. The government said it was assessing the situation and hoping for help from authorities in the region. Last week when pirates overpowered the crew of a Chinese bulk carrier 700 miles off the coast of Somalia, a Foreign Ministry spokesman pledged that China would make "an all-out effort to rescue the sailors and the ship."

What changed in a year? Since sending three warships to the pirate-infested Gulf of Aden in January, China is increasingly capable of defending its merchant vessels in the region. And the country is now more willing to display its growing military strength, as was demonstrated in the massive military parade held in Beijing on Oct.1 to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic.

[read on] Link to Article

AP: Japan eyes naval refueling for anti-piracy mission

Japan is considering sending warships to help refuel vessels combating piracy off Somalia after its current refueling mission in support of the U.S.-led operations in Afghanistan ends early next year, officials said Tuesday.

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U.S.: Fleets must upgrade to fight piracy

Committing to "best management practices" for commercial maritime fleets is key to battling piracy in the Horn of Africa region, a U.S. diplomat says

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U.S. Capt. Richard Phillips' rescue from Somali pirates moves closer to silver screen

It's more 'entertainment' than 'news' but I thought this was interesting. Hijacking, hostage situations, and piracy in general have been (sadly) a common occurence in maritime transport. However, when an all-American crew is on board and a hostage is taken, let's make a movie and milk it for all it's worth.

Let's be real, people will probably see it for the drama, the Navy SEALs, and taking down a bad guy. But when people leave the theater, I hope they realize that the pirates taken down in this encounter are part of a much larger pirate population. And that, even though this crew is safe and no ransom paid, it is not always the case.

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Somali pirates take Panamanian carrier, 26 crew - AFP

Somali pirates take Panamanian carrier, 26 crew - AFP: "

Globe and Mail

Somali pirates take Panamanian carrier, 26 crew AFP NAIROBI — Pirates captured a Panamanian-flagged ship with 26 crew off the east African coast on Thursday and others fired rocket-propelled grenades and ... Somali pirates seize cargo shipAljazeera.net Somali pirates seize ship off East African coastThe Associated Press Somali Pirates Have No Limit on Activity Range, Forecaster SaysBloomberg Times of India -Voice of America -www.romaniantimes.at all 408 news articles »

From the Blogs: Somali Pirates Are Still At It: Hijacking Ships For Ransom

Ran across this blog post concerning piracy, which included the following snippet (full article link below):

"But seriously, it is an embarrassment that pirates can so easily hijack cargo ships with whole crews surrendering at the first sight of the ‘mighty’ inflatable dinghies appearing on the horizon." -Thomas Mathew

Thoughts?

Link to Article

Chinese ship seized by pirates reaches Somali coast

The De Xin Hai, a Chinese bulk carrier, was seized by Somali pirates and is now anchored off the coast of Somalia. EU Navfor, the European Union anti-piracy force, confirmed yesterday the ship had arrived off the coast of Somalia and was near Hobyo. It was captured on 19 October in the Indian Ocean between the Seychelles and Maldives.

Link to Article

Press Trust of India: Indian Navy has a plan to deal with sea piracy

They have a plan....but they won't say what it is.

Hopefully it is more than "don't get hijacked'.

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AFP: Back local Somali structures to curb piracy: report

Attempts to curb Somali piracy by deploying warships or resuscitating the central government are doomed, and efforts should focus on buttressing local players in pirate hubs, according to a new report.

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My weekend reading - "Piracy in the Greater Gulf of Aden: Myths, Misconception and Remedies" by NBIR

BBC: US boosts Seychelles piracy fight

The US is using drone spy planes based on the Seychelles to help the island nation fight off Somali pirates.

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Highlight (for me) - cooperation between the Seychelles and France to create a process to judicial process to deal with pirates.

AFP: Somali pirates hijack Panamanian carrier: NATO

Pirates on Thursday hijacked a Panamanian-flagged carrier in waters off Somalia, taking 26 crew hostage, almost all of them Indian, a NATO spokeswoman said.

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Prosecute pirates in their countries 'to succeed' in war - Business Daily Africa

Prosecute pirates in their countries 'to succeed' in war - Business Daily Africa: "

Business Daily Africa

Prosecute pirates in their countries 'to succeed' in war Business Daily Africa A Spanish Navy officer leads out a suspected Somali pirate out of a ship in Mombasa. Photo/REUTERS By ALLAN ODHIAMBO (email the author) An international ... Global pirate attacks on the increaseCNN International World pirate attacks surge in 2009 due to SomaliaThe Associated Press Pirates wreak havoc on trade lanesGlobe and Mail Reuters South Africa -United Press International -Sin Chew Jit Poh all 174 news articles »

CNN: Global pirate attacks on the increase

The first nine months of this year has seen more pirate attacks than all of last year. And more than half of those attacks were carried out by suspected Somali pirates, an international maritime watchdog group said Wednesday.

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Somali pirates threaten to kill crew

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Pirates from Somalia who hijacked a Chinese bulk carrier in the Indian Ocean have threatened to execute its 25 crew members if any rescue operation was attempted.

The De Xin Hai was carrying about 76,000 tonnes of coal from South Africa to India when it was seized by gunmen yesterday about 700 nautical miles east of the Horn of Africa.

"We tell China not to endanger the lives of their people with any rescue operation," Hassan, an associate of the gang, said by phone from the pirate stronghold Haradheere. "If they try that we will execute the whole crew ... we tell them to change their mind regarding any rescue, otherwise they will regret it. We know what they are planning to do."

He said the pirates were planning to sail the captured ship to either Haradheere or Hobyo, both former fishing villages north of Mogadishu that have become pirate bases.

A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman told reporters earlier in Beijing that his government had "actively started rescue operations" for the ship, but declined to give details.

Observers said they expected a diplomatic resolution.

The European Union's counter-piracy force said an EU maritime patrol aircraft had located the vessel yesterday.

"The aircraft spotted at least four pirates on the deck and the vessel is towing two skiffs. It was last reported heading west towards the Somali coast," said John Harbour, a spokesman for the EU naval force in Brussels.

Despite a major deployment this year by foreign navies in the strategic shipping lanes linking Europe to Asia through the Suez Canal, pirate gangs have continued to terrorise the waters off Somalia, making tens of millions of dollars in ransoms.

Last Thursday, Somali gunmen captured a Singapore-owned container ship, the MV Kota Wajar , which had 21 crew on board.

Among others vessels, the pirates are also holding a Spanish fishing boat with 36 sailors that they hijacked on October 2nd. That gang says it will not negotiate their release until colleagues facing hijacking charges in Madrid are freed.

US Navy seizes 4 tons of hashish in Gulf of Aden

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DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — A U.S. warship has seized about four tons of hashish being transported aboard a boat off the Horn of Africa.

The Navy's Fifth Fleet in Bahrain said on Tuesday that guided missile cruiser USS Anzio stopped the skiff after a brief chase in the Gulf of Aden.

Waters in the area are used by ships headed for the Suez Canal and are also infested by Somali pirates and smugglers. U.S. forces have dubbed the stretch of the Indian Ocean the "Hash Highway."

The Navy says the seizure occurred October 15, while the Anzio was leading a multinational anti-pirate task force in the region. It says the drugs have a street value of $28 million, and could have helped fund insurgents in Afghanistan.

Map Time!

Someone asked me (again) about the "Pirate News" section in my office. When I explained that I have my MPA with a concentration in security and maritime issues, they were a little confused about how I ended up working 200 miles inland. (Hilarious story about a fun internship that had nothing to do with my classes that ended up working out for me).

Anyways, I dropped some knowledge. Piracy didn't begin and end when an American crew was taken hostage. Just because CNN isn't running a feature doesn't mean the problem doesn't exist. Here is a little reminder about what has been going on in 2009.

Link to Live Piracy Map

BBC: China vows to free hijacked ship

China has pledged to make an "all out" effort to rescue a cargo ship with 25 crew on board that has been hijacked by pirates in the Indian Ocean.

Link to Article

FACTBOX-Ships held by Somali pirates: Monday October 19

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Oct 19 (Reuters) - A Chinese bulk carrier carrying 25 Chinese crew was hijacked in the Indian Ocean on Monday, the European Union's counter-piracy force in the region said.

The vessel was seized 550 nautical miles northeast of the Seychelles and 700 nautical miles off the east coast of Somalia, the EU naval force said in a statement.

Here is a list of ships under the control of Somali pirates:



WIN FAR 161: Taiwanese tuna boat, seized on April 6, 2009.

ARIANA: Seized on May 2, 2009. Ariana was seized north of Madagascar en route to the Middle East from Brazil. The 24 Ukrainian crew were said to be unhurt. The ship, flying a Maltese flag, belongs to All Oceans shipping in Greece.

CHARELLE: Seized on June 12, 2009. The 2,800-tonne cargo ship carrying about nine crew was attacked south of Oman.

ALAKRANA: Seized on Oct. 2, 2009. The 3,716-tonne fishing vessel has a crew of 36 and a home port in the Spanish Basque Country. The Seychelles coastguard said the ship was seized 400 nautical miles northwest of Mahe. The vessel had previously escaped an attempted hijack on Sept. 4.

KOTA WAJAR: Seized on Oct. 15, 2009. The 24,637-tonne container ship, seized 300 nautical miles north of Seychelles, was heading for the Kenyan port of Mombasa from Singapore. It had 21 crew on board.

* PIRACY FACTS:

-- Piracy attacks around the world more than doubled to 240 during the first six months of the year from 114 in the same period in 2008, the ICC International Maritime Bureau's Piracy Reporting Centre (IMB) said in July.

-- The rise in overall numbers was due almost entirely to increased Somali pirate activity. In the first half of 2009 attacks soared to 148 from 25 in the same period a year ago.

-- Of those 148 attacks, 31 resulted in successful hijackings by Somali pirates, including one attack off Oman's coast. In 2008, there were 111 incidents including 42 vessels hijacked in the Gulf of Aden and off the coast of Somalia.

-- Nearly 20,000 ships pass through the Gulf of Aden each year, heading to and from the Suez Canal.

Sources: Reuters/Ecoterra International/International Maritime Bureau Piracy Reporting Centre/Lloyds List/Inquirer.net

AP: Somali pirates seize Chinese ship with 25 crew

Somali pirates seized a Chinese cargo ship Monday with 25 people onboard, a naval spokesman for the European Union’s anti-piracy force said, in the first successful attack on a Chinese vessel since the country deployed three naval warships to the region.

Link to Article

20 S'pore ships hit by pirates off Somalia since March 2008 - Straits Times

20 S'pore ships hit by pirates off Somalia since March 2008 - Straits Times: "

Straits Times

20 S'pore ships hit by pirates off Somalia since March 2008 Straits Times By Carolyn Quek & Jermyn Chow PIRATES have attacked 20 Singapore-registered ships passing through waters off Somalia since March last year. ... Singapore ship seized by piratesBBC News FACTBOX-Ships held by Somali piratesReuters Pirates seize Singapore container shipAFP Reuters India -Aljazeera.net -Xinhua all 98 news articles »

Somali pirates capture Singaporean container ship - Reuters India

Somali pirates capture Singaporean container ship - Reuters India: "

AFP

Somali pirates capture Singaporean container ship Reuters India MOGADISHU (Reuters) - Somali pirates captured a Singapore-flagged and owned container ship on Thursday, a maritime official said, and an associate of the ... Somali pirates hijack Singaporean shipXinhua Somali pirates hijack Singaporean shipChina.org.cn all 43 news articles »

Cameroon military repels pirate attack, kills 4 - Reuters

Cameroon military repels pirate attack, kills 4 - Reuters: "

Reuters South Africa

Cameroon military repels pirate attack, kills 4 Reuters YAOUNDE, Oct 15 (Reuters) - Cameroon's military killed four pirates who had attacked a fishing vessel off the Bakassi peninsula, ... TIMELINE-Attacks in the Gulf of GuineaReuters all 12 news articles »

French troops on tuna ship fight Indian Ocean pirates - Reuters AlertNet

French troops on tuna ship fight Indian Ocean pirates - Reuters AlertNet: "

CCTV

French troops on tuna ship fight Indian Ocean pirates Reuters AlertNet PARIS, Oct 13 (Reuters) - French marines deployed on a tuna fleet off the Seychelles fired at suspected Somali pirates on Tuesday, the second such clash in ... French military fends off Somalia pirate attackCNN International French soldiers fire on Indian Ocean piratesThe Associated Press French marines repel new pirate attack on trawlersAFP Times of the Internet -Afrik.com -Raxanreeb Online all 413 news articles »

"

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French marines repel new pirate attack on trawlers - AFP

French marines repel new pirate attack on trawlers - AFP: "

AFP

French marines repel new pirate attack on trawlers AFP CONCARNEAU, France — French marines on board two tuna trawlers in the Indian Ocean opened fire to repel a dawn pirate attack on Tuesday, the second such ... French Marines are in "Cowboy Mode: Shoot first then ask !Australia.TO FRENCH MARINES FIGHT OFF FISHING VESSEL ATTACKMaritime Global Net Somali pirates attack French military flagshipEl Lider Dscriber -WalesOnline -News24 all 392 news articles »

CNN: French military fends off Somalia pirate attack

The French military fended off a pirate attack on two fishing boats, hundreds of miles off the coast of east Africa, a French Defense Ministry spokesman said Tuesday.

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BBC: Pirates Urge Spain to Free Pair

Somali pirates holding a Spanish fishing boat and its crew hostage have said they will only negotiate their release if colleagues are freed.

Link to Article

French gunfire highlights complex stand off in pirate seas points - Dscriber

French gunfire highlights complex stand off in pirate seas points - Dscriber: "

EITB

French gunfire highlights complex stand off in pirate seas points Dscriber A while back, France decided to put soldiers on board its trawlers to ward off pirate attacks. This morning, it paid off as French marines drove back pirate ... French military fire on pirates in Indian OceanReuters French soldiers fire on pirates in Indian OceanThe Associated Press French marines repel pirates in Indian OceanAFP all 242 news articles »

FACTBOX-Ships held by Somali pirates

Link to Article

Oct 3 (Reuters) - Somali pirates hijacked a Spanish tuna fishing boat in the Indian Ocean, the regional government of the Basque Country, the Seychelles and a pirate said on Friday.

At least 134 crew members are believed to be held by Somali pirates. Here is a list of ships under their control:



WIN FAR 161: Taiwanese tuna boat, seized April 6, 2009.

ARIANA: Seized May 2, 2009. The Ariana was seized north of Madagascar en route to the Middle East from Brazil. The 24 Ukrainian crew were said to be unhurt. The ship, flying a Maltese flag, belongs to All Oceans shipping in Greece.

CHARELLE: Seized on June 12, 2009. The 2,800-tonne cargo ship carrying about nine crew, was attacked 60 miles south of Oman.

HORIZON-1: Seized on July 8, 2009. The 34,173 dwt bulk carrier, believed to be carrying sulphate, was hijacked with 23 Turkish crew aboard.

ALAKRANA: Seized on Oct. 2, 2009. The 3,716 tonne fishing vessel has a crew of 36 and a home port in the Basque Country. The Seychelles coastguard said the ship was seized 400 nautical miles northwest of Mahe. The ship was previously escaped an attempted hijack on Sept. 4.

* PIRACY KEY FACTS:

-- Piracy attacks around the world more than doubled to 240 from 114 during the first six months of the year compared with the same period in 2008, the ICC International Maritime Bureau's Piracy Reporting Centre (IMB) said in July.

-- The rise in overall numbers is due almost entirely to increased Somali pirate activity. In the first half of 2009 attacks soared to 148 from 25 in the same period a year ago.

-- Of those 148 attacks, 31 resulted in successful hijackings by Somali pirates, including one attack off Oman's coast. In 2008, there were 111 incidents including 42 vessels hijacked in the Gulf of Aden and off the coast of Somalia.

-- Nearly 20,000 ships pass through the Gulf of Aden each year, heading to and from the Suez Canal.

Sources: Reuters/Ecoterra International/International Maritime Bureau Piracy Reporting Centre/Lloyds List/Inquirer.net

Spanish fishing boat seized by pirates heading to Somali coast

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MOGADISHU — A Spanish tuna trawler with a 36-member crew was heading Saturday to the port of Harardhere a day after it was hijacked by Somali pirates in the Indian Ocean, pirates and the Spanish military said.

"Our colleagues contacted us to tell us that they will arrive at Harardhere in several hours. This boat has been fishing illegally for a long time and fortunately it is now in our hands," a pirate who gave his name as Abdi Mohamed told AFP by telephone.

Spanish military operations chief Jaime Dominguez Buj said a frigate dispatched by Madrid is expected to catch up with the Alakrana later on Saturday and prevent the trawler from reaching the Somali coast.

"The situation is calm. The trawler is not making any strange moves that would give us cause for alarm," he told reporters following a meeting of a team set up by the Spanish government to work to secure the vessel's release.

"The priority of the ministry of defence and the armed forces is the security of the fishermen," he added.

Deputy Prime Minister Maria Teresa Fernandez de la Vega heads the team, which includes representatives from the defence, foreign and interior ministries.

Harardhere, a tiny village in northeastern Somalia, is considered to be the second-biggest base of operations for Somalian pirates after the port of Eyl.

The 100-metre (358-foot) Alakrana was seized in the early hours of Friday in the high seas between Somalia and the Seychelles as calmer waters at the end of the monsoon season made vessels more vulnerable to attacks.

Its crew comprises Spaniards, Indonesians, Ghanaians, Madagascans, Senegalese and Seychellois.

"They were fishing in horrible conditions. They were frightened all the time. If they saw a spot on the radar they immediately thought it was pirates," the daughter of the ship's captain, Cristina Blach, told public television TVE.

The vessel was seized by a group based in Harardhere which launched their attack from a Somali pirate "mother ship" in the region using two smaller boats, another pirate based in Eyl who gave his name as Ahmed Ganey told AFP.

Last month Spain's defence ministry allowed private security firms which protect Spanish fishing boats from Somali pirates in the Indian Ocean to use long-range weapons.

But it said Spain could not station its marines on fishing trawlers, as France is doing and as the industry has requested, because Spanish law does not allow the military to be used for protecting private property.

The Alakrana, one of 17 Spanish fishing trawlers currently operating in the Indian Ocean, was "far" from a zone protected by the Spanish military, said Dominguez Buj.

The owners of other Spanish boats fishing operating in the area have ordered them to move further off shore or return to port, fishing organisation Cepesca said.

The hijacking of the Alakrana brings to at least five the number of vessels in the hands of Somali pirates. The others include a Taiwanese fishing vessel and Ukrainian, German and Turkish freighters.

In April 2008 a Spanish tuna trawler was captured by pirates in the waters near Somalia and its crew held for six days before being freed.

The government has not confirmed reports that the pirates were paid a ransom of 1.2 million dollars (825,000 euros).

BBC: Pirates Take Spanish Fishing Boat

A Spanish fishing boat with a crew of 36 has been attacked by a gang of Somali pirates in the Indian Ocean, reports say.

Link to Article

Warships save vessels as Somali pirates persist

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By KATHARINE HOURELD (AP) – 20 hours ago

NAIROBI, Kenya — Pirates have resumed their daring attacks on shipping vessels after weather off the Somali coast improved, a maritime official said Wednesday, but warships in the area and precautions taken by mariners themselves have helped thwart the attempted hijackings.

Cyrus Mody at the International Maritime Bureau said international forces intervened in two attacks on Saturday. The pirates resumed their activity in mid-September after about a six-week break.

"Since the attacks resumed after the monsoon subsided there have been no successful hijackings off Somalia, which is a very positive step," Mody said. "We attribute this very largely to the actions of the naval forces in the area and better mariner preparedness."

A Turkish frigate intervened after the Panamanian-flagged Handy V came under fire from pirates in two small skiffs Saturday. The crew fired parachute flares at them before locking themselves in the bridge and contacting coalition ships for assistance. The same day, a Saudi Arabian warship sent a helicopter to assist the Greek-owned Panamax Peppo after it was chased by pirates.

The number of attacks has already surpassed those during all of 2008, but the rate of successful hijackings has remained steady, showing that the pirates are having a tougher time in commandeering a ship once they launch an attack. In 2008 the pirates' success rate was nearly 38 percent, while this year it is about 20 percent, according to IMB figures.

The U.S. Fifth Fleet said there have been 146 attacks this year already. Of those attacks, 32 have been successful, IMB said. Last year there were 111 reported attacks and 42 successful hijackings, according to IMB.

The increase in attacks comes despite a much heavier naval presence and the creation in January of the U.S.-led Combined Taskforce 151, a force especially dedicated to fighting piracy. Rear Adm. Scott Sanders, its commander, told The Associated Press last month that stronger countermeasures by merchant crews — including special armed units — are cutting the ability of pirates to storm the ships.

Sanders said 80 percent of foiled pirate attacks are accomplished by merchant crews without help from military vessels.

Somalia remains mired in chaos, with splits appearing among both the Islamist insurgent alliance and the unstable coalition government. One faction of the insurgency recently publicly allied itself to al-Qaida, guaranteeing foreign nations will continue to pump arms into the impoverished nation.

"It is not the warships who can stop the pirates, it is the people ashore who can stop the pirates," said Mody. "The pirates will keep trying."

But Somalia has not had a functioning government for 18 years and is unlikely to be able to police its lawless coasts anytime soon.