Somali pirates appear to have seized a Taiwanese-owned fishing vessel, the FV Shiuh Fu No 1, near the north east tip of Madagascar in the Indian Ocean, the European Naval force said on Thursday.
The EU force said on its website the vessel was operating near the island when it was reported that it was being chased by a skiff on December 25 and communications were lost, and it was very likely the vessel had been seized.
The vessel has a crew of 26 consisting of Taiwanese, Chinese and Vietnamese nationals.
Pirates are making tens of millions of dollars in ransoms from seizing merchant ships in the Indian Ocean and the Gulf of Aden, despite efforts by foreign navies to clamp down on such attacks.
The hijackings have driven up insurance premiums and forced ships to take longer, costlier routes to avoid piracy hot spots.
Source: Reuters
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