Chinese fishing vessel “liberated” from Somali pirates

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Six weeks after surveillance was mounted on a Chinese fishing vessel pirated off Somalia, the unnamed vessel was “liberated” on Monday 13 January.

A four paragraph statement issued by the European Union (EU) naval task force in the western Indian Ocean, Operation Atalanta, notes the Chinese Embassy in Somalia informed Atalanta the fishing vessel was “liberated”. This after Atalanta said in early December, in the wake of a notification from the Puntland Maritime Police Force, that the vessel had apparently been hijacked. Atalanta then confirmed it was under the control of alleged pirates, some armed with AK-47s and machine guns.

Information provided to Atalanta has it no crew members were injured and the vessel is in transit to safe waters.

Atalanta maintained contact with Chinese and Somali authorities in the form of a Chinese task force “in the area” and the EU delegation to Somalia for the duration of the surveillance.

The current Atlanta flagship ESPS Santa Maria (F81) carrying a Scan Eagle unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) and onboard Augusta-Bell AB-212 helicopter maintained 24/7 surveillance of the Chinese vessel from 5 December to 13 January.

The Liao Dong Yu was captured on 27 November with 18 people on board, and taken to Xaafuun district in the semi-autonomous region of Puntland. The pirates holding the vessel had reportedly demanded a $10 million ransom.

The Chinese Embassy in Somalia said the vessel was rescued after “the unremitting efforts of the Chinese government.”

“The Chinese side strongly condemns this vicious action which threatened the safety of the crew and international navigation security, and will continue to firmly safeguard the lawful rights of Chinese citizens and enterprises overseas, and work with relevant parties to ensure international navigation security,” the statement said.

“In the pursuit of a solution to the incident, the Chinese side maintained close consultation and coordination with the Federal Government of Somalia as well as the state government of Puntland,” the Embassy said.

Somalia’s Horseed Media reported the ship’s release coincided with Chinese Ambassador Wang Yu’s visit to Bosaso, where he met with Puntland President Said Deni.

Horseed also reported that a $2 million ransom was paid to secure the vessel’s release, citing sources familiar with the negotiations.

Piracy has surged over the last year, with the European Union’s Naval Force Operation Atalanta recording 15 suspicious events, 20 attacks, and four vessels being pirated in 2024 in the Somali Basin and Gulf of Aden. This is up from 15 suspicious events, six attacks, and one vessel being pirated in 2023.

Although there has been a lull in pirate attacks in recent months, this may change as the monsoon period ends.