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Somali pirates hijack Iranian fishing vessel

May 23, 2017 at 9:38 pm

Somali pirates hijacked an Iranian fishing vessel today to use as a base to attack bigger, more valuable ships, the mayor of a Somali town said.

Crews have let security procedures slip in recent years and travel far closer to pirate-infested shores than authorities recommend, shipping sources say. The pirate gangs launch small, fast skiffs from bases on shore to try and hijack vessels.

A group of Somali pirates captured an Iranian fishing vessel and are using it as a mother ship in order to hijack [other] ships

Ali Shire, the mayor of Haabo in the northern semi-autonomous region of Puntland, told Reuters.

“The Iranian fishing vessel does not have a licence [to fish] in Puntland,” he added.

Local fishermen have been angered by the return of unlicensed international fishing vessels to Somali waters, blaming them for reducing the local catch.