Talks for release of 3 ships held by Somali pirates in advanced stage: Sources

Ransom negotiations for the release of three merchant vessels and their 44 crew members held by Somali pirates are at an advanced stage, shipping industry sources with direct knowledge of the talks said on Thursday.

The talks involve countries where the vessels are registered, ship owners and insurance companies, and are being conducted confidentially due to concerns over the safety of the crew, the sources here said. They said the talks are being coordinated with insurers that provided cover for the vessels, as any ransom payment has to be vetted to ensure compliance with international sanctions.

The identity of the recipient is verified against sanctions lists maintained by the United Nations, the US, the UK and the European Union to avoid legal complications, they said.

“Ransoms are paid on humanitarian grounds, but international laws on sanctions should not be flouted,” one of the sources said.

The three vessels — oil tankers Honour 25 and Eureka, and cargo ship Sward — comprising 44 crew members, were hijacked in separate incidents between April and May off the coast of Somalia and in the Gulf of Aden, according to recent reports by the International Maritime Organisation. Shipping industry sources said many companies are avoiding piracy-prone waters and the Strait of Hormuz, resulting in a sharp rise in freight rates and higher remuneration for seafarers willing to transit the region.

Separately, a regional maritime security agency highlighted the shipping industry’s concerns over the resurgence of piracy in the Western Indian Ocean.

“There have been a series of piracy attacks against merchant vessels and tankers in the Western Indian Ocean since the beginning of the ongoing conflict in the Straits of Hormuz,” said Vijay D Chafekar, executive director of the ReCAAP (Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships in Asia) Information Sharing Centre.

“On several occasions, onboard security personnel had to open fire to deter approaching skiffs and attempts at unauthorised boarding. In some cases, pirates succeeded in boarding and hijacking. It is understood that at least three vessels are held captive off the Somali coast,” he said.