Pirates attack in Seychelles waters
Somali pirate attacks have reached into the waters of our exclusive economic zone (EEZ). A Dutch container vessel sailing out of Dar-es-Salaam was attacked last Saturday, 40
miles inside the Seychelles maritime economic zone. Reports of the attacks placed it 350 miles west of the Seychelles and 450 miles east of Dar-es-Salaam. This position
puts it 160 miles north-east of Aldabra, and therefore within our economic zone.
The heavily-armed pirates launched the attack on the vessel, carrying 19 crew, from two
speedboats, firing semi-automatic weapons and a rocket propelled grenade. The vessel
caught fire but the captain took evasive action, putting on maximum speed, and escaped a
hijack. The ship suffered some damage but managed to continue on its voyage, said the
International Maritime Bureau reporting centre in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The centre sent out an alert to all shipping in the area. “Pirate attacks are spreading to a wider area down south from the Somalia coast. This is not a good sign. Pirates have become bolder and more dangerous. They are also firing automatic weapons and rockets discriminately,” the centre told mariners.
For Seychelles, the attack within our economic zone carries major significance since it
means that shipping, and most importantly tuna fishing, close to us can be affected. But also pertinent is the possibility of a threat to Aldabra, and even to other outlying islands, although the attacks have so far been concerned only with taking ships for ransom.
Saturday’s attack came as the European Union prepared to launch its first-ever naval operation to patrol the pirate-infested seas near the Horn of Africa with six warships
and three surveillance planes. But, this incident shows that the pirates are venturing much further south and therefore increasing the area under threat.
Source: REGAR