Somali pirates seized the Iranian Thai vessels

Somali pirates seized the Iranian Thai vessels |

There were two failed attempts this month.

In March, two other vessels, both Iranian, called Jaber and Siraj were captured off the Somali coast. The crew of Jaba escaped by squeezing their captors, but Siraj crew was taken ashore in September. This was the first successful attack in the Gulf of Aden in two years, Steed said.

According to the anti-piracy expert John Steed Oceans Beyond Piracy, which manages a support program to help the hostages, attacks occurred more than 200 nautical miles off the coast of Somalia. The pirates used small boats, a clear indicator of the range.

"Attacks are fishing vessels, which shows due to high levels of illegal fishing off Somalia, there are many potential fishing boats targets. That's what started the problem Somali piracy in the first place, "Steed said in Nairobi.

Now, with potential reductions in international naval patrols, more risks taken by shipping companies and a reduction in high-risk area, "there is no place for pirates to find a target, "Steed said.

Pirates used for hundreds of hostages, including Americans, British, Indians and South Africans, who used to extort ransom money from family members or governments.

But the presence of international naval forces such as NAVFOR and NATO to the European Union, and the presence of security teams on board, had significantly reduced the number.

Now there are less than 40 hostages in the hands of pirates. However, Steed said regression is a possibility.

"The potential is very high for the problem of piracy in Somalia to return completely if we're not very careful," he said. "And we have failed to build the right kind of capacity for Somalia to police its own waters."

The level of illegal fishing off Somalia has increased 20 times since 1981, according to a recent report from the secure fishing.

in 2011, American Jessica Buchanan was kidnapped while working in Somalia for the Danish Refugee Council. She was detained for three months, but has been greatly saved by SEAL Team 6 US Navy German-American journalist Michael Scott Moore was the most recent, held for 977 days and released by pirates after ransom was paid in 2014.

most long held to date hostages are 26 crew members of the fishing vessel Asia Naham 3, which have been held for more than four years. Negotiators are still working to secure their release.