Chinese Fishing Vessel Hijacked, Crew Abducted By Somali Pirates On New Year’s Day
A Chinese fishing vessel off the Puntland coast, Somalia, was hijacked by pirates in the afternoon on New Year’s Day.
The ship named Liao Dong Yu 578 was attacked off the coast of Bandarbeyla by pirates intending to release the crew members in exchange for ransom.
Many pirate groups in the area use such fishing vessels as motherships to launch attacks on bigger merchant ships passing through the region’s waters, especially in the Indian Ocean.
The ship in question is particularly unlucky, as this is its second hijacking. It was earlier captured off Puntland in November 2024 and was released in January 2025 after a ransom of 2 million dollars was paid to the pirates.
The hijacking incident was confirmed by the European Union’s Naval Force.
Dave Harvilicz, Deputy Secretary for Cyber, Infrastructure, Risk and Resilience Policies at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, said that the vessel was engaged in illegal, unregulated and unreported fishing off Somalia.
It caught the yellowfin tuna, whose stocks are being rapidly depleted. He added that due to continuous fishing by Chinese and other foreign fleets, Somalia’s yellowfin tuna stocks are facing a collapse that would affect the regional fishing industry and also threaten food security.
Illegal and Unreported fishing costs Somalia around 300 million dollars annually and also threatens the livelihoods of 90,000 local fishermen.
According to the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime, regional governments in Puntland function with a semi-autonomous structure and issue their own fishing licences to Chinese operators, which complicates fisheries management.
Disclaimer :
The information on this website is for general purposes only. While efforts are made to ensure accuracy, we make no warranties of any kind regarding completeness, reliability, or suitability. Any reliance you place on such information is at your own risk. We are not liable for any loss or damage arising from the use of this website.
Related Posts
eBooks you will like to read
Disclaimer :
The information on this website is for general purposes only. While efforts are made to ensure accuracy, we make no warranties of any kind regarding completeness, reliability, or suitability. Any reliance you place on such information is at your own risk. We are not liable for any loss or damage arising from the use of this website.
Related Articles
Latest News
Subscribe To Our Daily Newsletter
By subscribing, you agree to our Privacy Policy and may receive occasional deal communications; you can unsubscribe anytime.
BE THE FIRST TO COMMENT