List of ships attacked by Somali pirates

General area in the Indian Ocean where pirates operate

Piracy in the Indian Ocean has been a threat to international shipping since the second phase of the Somali Civil War in the early 21st century.^[1] Since 2005, many international organizations have expressed concern over the rise in acts of piracy.^[2][3] Piracy impeded the delivery of shipments and increased shipping expenses, costing an estimated $6.6 to $6.9 billion a year in global trade according to Oceans Beyond Piracy (OBP).^[4] According to the German Institute for Economic Research (DIW), a veritable industry of profiteers also arose around the piracy. Insurance companies significantly increased their profits from the pirate attacks as insurance companies hiked premium rates in response.^[5]

Combined Task Force 150, a multinational coalition task force, took on the role of fighting the piracy by establishing a Maritime Security Patrol Area (MSPA) within the Gulf of Aden.^[6] By September 2012, the heyday of piracy in the Indian Ocean was reportedly over.^[7] According to the International Maritime Bureau, pirate attacks had by October 2012 dropped to a six-year low, with only one ship attacked in the third quarter compared to thirty-six during the same period in 2011.^[8] By December 2013, the US Office of Naval Intelligence reported that only 9 vessels had been attacked during the year by pirates, with zero successful hijackings.^[9] Control Risks attributed this 90% decline in pirate activity from the corresponding period in 2012 to the adoption of better management practices by vessel owners and crews, armed private security on board ships, a significant naval presence, and the development of onshore security forces.^[10]

List of ships captured or attacked off the Somali coast

For more details see: * ECOTERRA Intl. Somali Marine & Coastal Monitor - SMCM updates at:

2005

Image	Flag (owner)	Name (class)	Crew (cargo)	Status	Date of attack	Coordinates
					Date of release	Ransom demanded
	Hong Kong	MV Feisty Gas (LPG carrier)	120 (unknown)	Released after ransom	2005-04-10	unknown
					not known	US$315,000
The MV Feisty Gas, a liquefied petroleum gas tanker, was seized by Somali pirates. A Hong Kong-based company that owns the vessel reportedly paid $315,000 to a representative of the Somali pirates in Mombasa, Kenya, according to a recent UN report.[11]
	Kenya	MV Semlow (Freighter)	10 (unknown)	Released	2005-06-27	unknown
					2005-10-03	US$50,000
The MV Semlow, carrying UN food supplies for tsunami victims, was seized by pirates en route from Mombasa, Kenya to Bosasso, Somalia. They held the ship for 100 days until a Somali business man convinced them to leave without payment.[12]
	Liberia ( Ukraine)	MV Panagia (bulk carrier)	22 all ukrainian (coal)	Released after ransom	2005-10-18	unknown
					2005-11-25	US$700,000
The MV Panagia, a 22b,046 GRT bulk carrier with coal from South Africa to Turkey, was seized by Somali pirates on 90 nautical miles (170 km) off the east coast. A Ukrainian-based company that owns the vessel reportedly paid $700,000 to a representative of the Somali pirates in Mombasa, Kenya.
	Bahamas ( United States)	MV Seabourn Spirit (cruise ship)	210 (Passengers)	Capture failed	2005-11-05	unknown
					Capture failed	none
The MV Seabourn Spirit, a luxury cruise liner carrying 210 crew members and passengers, was attacked by pirates off the coast of Somalia.[13] Riding in two small speedboats, the pirates fired at the ship with machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades, but the crew drove them off with a water hose and a long range acoustic device.[14]

2006

Image	Flag (owner)	Name (class)	Crew (cargo)	Status	Date of attack	Coordinates
					Date of release	Ransom demanded
	India	MV Safina al-Birsarat (dhow)	16 (coal)	Released	2006-01-16	unknown
					2006-01-22	none
Pirates hijacked the India-registered MV Safina al-Birsarat along with its crew of 16 Indians. On January 22, the USS Winston S. Churchill, an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer, intercepted the vessel. After warning shots were fired, the pirates surrendered and all ten onboard were taken into custody. The ten were transported to Mombasa, Kenya where they were sentenced to seven years in prison by a court.[15][16][17]
	United States	USS Cape St. George (CG-71) (Ticonderoga-class cruiser) USS Gonzalez (DDG-66) (Arleigh Burke-class destroyer)	unknown (none)	Attack failed, one pirate killed and twelve captured.	2006-03-18	unknown
					N/A	none
The USS Cape St. George, a Ticonderoga-class cruiser, and the USS Gonzalez, an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer, engaged pirate vessels after receiving fire from them.

2007

Image	Flag (owner)	Name (class)	Crew (cargo)	Status	Date of attack	Coordinates
					Date of release	Ransom demanded
	Saint Vincent and the Grenadines	MV Rozen ()	12 (UN food aid)	Released	2007-02-25	11°50′0″N 51°35′0″E / 11.83333°N 51.58333°E
					2007-04-05	unknown
Somali pirates with automatic weapons captured the ship, carrying 6 Kenyans and 6 Sri Lankans.[18] On February 27, members of the Somali coast guard attempted to take back the ship but failed, and 2 coast guardsmen were killed.
	Taiwan	FV Ching Fong Hwa 168 (fishing vessel)	15 (fish)	Released (one hostage killed)	2007-04-28	unknown
					2007-11-05	US$1,500,000
The Taiwanese fishing vessel was hijacked on May 28, 2007. The surviving crew of 10 Chinese, two Taiwanese and two Filipino crew members was released on November 5 after spending more than six months in captivity. One Chinese crew member was killed by the pirates on May 28 because the ship's owners failed to meet their ransom demands.[19]
	Tanzania ( South Korea)	FV Mavuno No. 1 (fishing vessel) FV Mavuno No. 2 (fishing vessel)	25 (Fishing equipment)	unknown	2007-05-15	1°10′0″N 49°0′0″E / 1.16667°N 49.00000°E
					2007-11-00	none
Two Tanzanian-registered ships belonging to Korea's Daechang Fishing were seized about 210 nautical miles (about 389 km) off the Somali capital of Mogadishu. Their 25 crew members (including 10 Chinese, four South Koreans, three Vietnamese, four Indonesians and four Indians) were released six months later.[20]
	Denmark	MV Danica White (cargo ship)	5 (unknown)	Released after ransom	2007-06-01	unknown
					2007-08-23	US$723,000 (negotiated down from $1.5 million)[21][22][23]
The Danish-owned cargo ship the MV Danica White was hijacked and maneuvered into Somali waters. On June 3, the USS Carter Hall, a Harpers Ferry-class landing ship dock engaged the pirates, firing machine-gun bursts at the skiffs in tow behind the Danish ship, but failed to stop them.[24] Following 83 days in captivity, the crew of five and the ship were released after the owner, H. Folmer & Co, paid a ransom of US$723,000, which was negotiated down from $1.5 million.[25][26]
	Greece	FV Grecko 2 (fishing boat)	4+ (unknown)	unknown	2007-09-20	unknown
					not known	unknown
FV Greko 2 was hijacked 110 nautical miles (200 km) west of Berbera. Vessel was anchored near Raas Shula, all crew removed from vessel.[27]
	Panama ( Japan)	MV Golden Nori (chemical tanker)	12 (78,884 barrels)	Released after ransom	2007-10-28	13°5′0″N 50°24′0″E / 13.08333°N 50.40000°E
					2007-12-12	US$1,000,000
A Japanese chemical tanker, the MV Golden Nori was hijacked off the coast of Somalia. USS Porter, an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer, sank the skiffs used by the pirates, but they still controlled the tanker. US and German naval vessels shadowed the captured vessel and blockaded the port of Bosaso, where the captured tanker was taken. Eventually, after demanding a ransom, the pirates freed the ship and its crew of 21 on December 12.[28]
	Comoros	MV Al Marjan (General cargo ship)	(2,500 tons of general cargo)	Released after ransom	2007-10-27	unknown
					2007-12-02	unknown
The MV Al Marjan, owned by Biyat International, was travelling to Mombasa from Dubai when pirates hijacked it 10-20 Nm from Mogadishu.[29]
	North Korea	MV Dai Hong Dan (cargo ship)	unknown (unknown)	Crew regained control	2007-10-29	2°11′57″N 45°47′55″E / 2.19917°N 45.79861°E
					2007-10-30	none
Pirates attacked the North Korean cargo the MV Dai Hong Dan and captured its bridge, while the crew managed to retain control of the steering and engineering spaces. On October 30, the crew regained control of their ship, killing one pirate and capturing six. Three sailors were injured in the fight, and received medical assistance from US Navy Corpman from the Arleigh Burke-class destroyer, the USS James E. Williams.[30]

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

Image	Flag (owner)	Name (class)	Crew (cargo)	Status	Date of attack	Coordinates
					Date of release	Ransom demanded
	Hong Kong ( United Kingdom)	Island Splendor ()	(Oil)	Released	2013-10-11	unknown
					Attack failed.	unknown
On 11 October at 0918 UTC, pirates in two skiffs fired upon the tanker Island Splendor and attempted a boarding approx. 237 nautical miles east of Hobyo, Somalia. The armed security team aboard the tanker fired flares and warning shots, whereupon the pirates returned fire with an automatic weapons. The security team engaged the pirates which resulted in the skiffs aborting the attack.[31]
	Spain	()	(fish)		2013-10-14	unknown
						unknown
[32]

References

1. Sanayo. "Piracy in Somali Waters: Rising attacks impede delivery of humanitarian assistance". UN Chronicle (United Nations Department of Public Information, Outreach, Division).
2. "Piracy: orchestrating the response". International Maritime Organization.
3. "Hijackings cut aid access to south Somalia, lives at risk". World Food Programme.
4. Anna, Bowden. "The Economic Cost of Somali Piracy 2011" (PDF). Oceans Beyond Piracy.
5. "The Advantage of Piracy". German-foreign-policy.com. Retrieved 17 December 2011.
6. Commander, Combined Maritime Forces Public Affairs (29 September 2008). "Combined Task Force 150 Thwarts Criminal Activities". US Africa Command. Retrieved 17 November 2008.
7. Abdi Guled, Jason Straziuso (25 September 2012). "AP IMPACT: Party seems over for Somali pirates". AP. Retrieved 3 October 2012.
8. Alaric Nightingale, Michelle Wiese Bockmann (22 October 2012). "Somalia Piracy Falls to Six-Year Low as Guards Defend Ships". Bloomberg News. Retrieved 25 October 2012.
9. Yanofsky, David (27 December 2013). "Somali piracy was reduced to zero this year". Quartz. Retrieved 14 January 2014.
10. "Somali piracy is down 90 per cent from last year". The Journal. 15 December 2013. Retrieved 14 January 2014.
11. "Pirates: Somalia needs help". News 24 (South Africa). 2005-10-22. Retrieved 2008-11-30.
12. "Pirates hijack tsunami aid ship". BBC News. 30 June 2005. Retrieved 8 February 2011.
13. Cherry, Matt; Moyer, Amanda (2005-11-06). "Cruise liner outruns armed pirate boats". CNN. Retrieved 2008-04-22.
14. "'I beat pirates with a hose and sonic cannon'". BBC News. 2007-04-14. Retrieved 2008-04-22.
15. "Suspected Pirates Captured Off Somali Coast". United States Navy. 2007-01-22. Retrieved 2008-04-26.
16. "U.S. Steps Up War Against Somali Pirates". The Somali Times. 2006-02-11. Retrieved 2008-04-26.
17. "Jail sentence for Somali pirates". BBC News. 2006-11-01. Retrieved 2008-04-26.
18. Mwangura, Andrew (2007-03-24). "MV Rozen". ECOP-marine. Retrieved 2008-12-26.
19. Miriri, Duncan (2007-11-14). "TSomali pirates killed Chinese sailor-official". Reuters. Retrieved 2009-04-12.
20. "Crew of hijacked South Korean ships safe: official". People's Daily Online. 2007-05-17. Retrieved 2008-11-30.
21. "DANICA WHITE Pirate attack and hijacking on 1 June 2007"
22. Danish Maritime Authority. 16 November 2007. Retrieved 14 July 2014.
23. "Danica White hijacker among arrested pirates". Shippingwatch.com. Retrieved 14 July 2014.
24. Starr, Barbara (2007-06-06). "U.S. warship can't stop pirates off Somalia". CNN. Retrieved 2008-04-22.
25. "Reports on piracy: Danica White". Danish Maritime Authority. 2007-11-16. Retrieved 2008-04-22.
26. Osler, David (2007-02-04). "Svitzer tug hijacked off Somali coast". LLoyd's List. Archived from the original on 2008-02-07. Retrieved 2008-04-22.
27. "REPORTS ON ACTS OF PIRACY AND ARMED ROBBERY AGAINST SHIPS - Acts reported during September 2007" (PDF). International Maritime Organisation. Retrieved 2008-12-04.
28. "Somali pirates leave Japan-owned ship, crew safe". Reuters. 2007-12-12. Retrieved 2008-04-22.
29. "Somali pirates hijack Japanese ship". Xinhua. 2007-10-29. Retrieved 2008-12-27.
30. "Crew of North Korean Pirated Vessel Safe". U.S. Naval Forces Central Command. 2007-10-30. Archived from the original on 2008-03-12. Retrieved 2008-04-22.
31. "Attempted Boarding by Somali Pirates". Naval Matters. 18 October 2013. Retrieved 22 Oct 2013.
32. "Suspected Somali pirates captured by Navy-led forces after attack on supertanker". The Independent. 21 October 2013. Retrieved 22 Oct 2013.

External links

• Live Piracy Map
• ECOTERRA Intl. - Somali Marine & Coastal Monitor
• ECOTERRA Intl. - Status of seized vessels and crews in Somalia
• Coordination marée noire - List of ships attacked by Somalian pirates since 2009
• Coordination marée noire - List of ships attacked by Somalian pirates since 2011
• Interactive piracy map 2013