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.