A Taiwanese long-line fishing vessel, the Tai Yuan 227, which was hijacked by pirates off the Somali coast in May last year, has escaped and is heading toward the Maldives, a Ministry of Foreign Affairs official said yesterday.
Samuel Chen (陳士良), director-general of the ministry’s Department of African Affairs, confirmed the information disclosed by the EU Naval Force Somalia (EU NAVFOR) yesterday, saying the Taiwanese owner had made contact with the boat.
The boat is likely to continue its fishing operations after undergoing necessary repairs and equipping itself instead of returning to Taiwan directly because there are no Taiwanese on board, Chen said.
EU NAVFOR spokesman Paddy O’Kennedy said the Taiwanese fishing vessel had either been released by the pirates or had escaped.
“Although exact details surrounding the situation are not known at this time, there are indications that the Taiwanese- flagged fishing vessel Tai Yuan 227 has either been released or has escaped from pirate control,” O’Kennedy said.
The vessel was hijacked on May 6 about 700 nautical miles (1,300km) northeast of the Seychelles, an island country in the Indian Ocean. Recent reports indicate the vessel might have been used by pirates as a mothership to hijack other vessels, the EU NAVFOR said.
“Although direct contact with the crew has not been possible, the vessel’s owners apparently received a call from the master stating that they had been released, but that they did not know why,” O’Kennedy said. “The crew were provided with fresh food and water by a US warship after the release. The vessel is currently heading away from Somalia.”
The boat was carrying a crew of 28 when it was hijacked last year, consisting of nine Chinese, three Vietnamese, three Filipinos, seven Kenyans and two Mozambicans.
Their conditions were not immediately known, the EU NAVFOR said.
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