Somalia: Pirates release yet another ship

Somali pirates have now released a Taiwanese fishing trawler as set out here:

The Navy on Monday helped free the fifth ship in a week hijacked by Somalia pirates, attempting to bring security to crucial shipping routes between the Red Sea and Indian Ocean.

Pirates released the Taiwanese fishing vessel 5 1/2 months after seizing it. U.S. naval personnel have been telling the pirates by radio to abandon hijacked vessels, get back in their small skiffs and return to Somalia.

“We encourage pirates to leave the ships,” said Cmdr. Lydia Robertson of the U.S. 5th Fleet in Bahrain. “We tell them, you get in the skiff, you leave, you do not take any hostages.”

Robertson said the Navy was in contact with two remaining ships held by pirates in Somali waters.

The latest fishing vessel freed by the Navy had two Taiwanese and 12 Chinese crew members aboard when it was hijacked 137 miles off the coast of Somalia’s capital, Mogadishu, in May.

Pirates killed one of the crew members in June, according to Andrew Mwangura, head of Seafarers Assistance Program’s Kenyan chapter. The International Maritime Bureau said it had heard reports of a shooting but had no official confirmation of the death.

Photo captions: Upper

A U.S. Navy rescue and assistance team travels to provide humanitarian and medical assistance to the crew of the Taiwanese-flagged fishing trawler Ching Fong Hwa. The vessel had been seized by pirates off the coast of Solamia (sic) in May and was released today with U.S. Navy assistance. U.S. Navy photo (RELEASED)

Lower:

A U.S. Navy rescue and assistance team boards the Taiwanese-flagged fishing trawler Ching Fong Hwa to provide humanitarian and medical assistance to the crew. The vessel had been seized by pirates off the coast of Solamia (sic) in May and was released today with U.S. Navy assistance. U.S. Navy photo (RELEASED)

Of course, the country is meant to be Somalia...

It seems nobody asked or told the pirates to let the ships go before....at least nobody with a couple of destroyers hanging around...