Somali pirates hijacked an Iranian fishing vessel with 23 people aboard, according to the Maritime Security Center Indian Ocean.
The incident took place 29 October, according to the Associated Press, with the pirates allegedly taking over the vessel between the Somali towns of Bandar Bayla and Hafun. On 1 November, a Puntland Maritime Police Force told the publication that the vessel – which had 21 Iranian crew members aboard along with two Somali security guards – was taken over by 12 pirates.
The status of the crew is unknown, and the Maritime Security Center Indian Ocean warned that the vessel – which was heading toward a commercial fishing lane – could be used as a “mother ship” to launch attacks on other commercial vessels in the area.
The increased activity of Somali pirates this year adds to pressure on commercial activity around the Strait of Hormuz, which is already under stress from attacks by Houthi rebels and closures by Iran following military strikes by the United States.
Not only has the ongoing war caused the price of diesel used by commercial fishers to skyrocket, but it has also had a devastating impact on Iran’s commercial fishing sector. According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), the fishing sectors in the provinces of Hormozgan and Bushehr have experienced roughly USD 105.9 million (EUR 94.4 million) in losses, with roughly 60 percent of the provinces’ fishing fleets inactive.
