World: Dangerous Seas

Pirates captured a Chinese fishing boat recently

Their mostaudaciousand significant attack to date came on Saturday with the capture of theSaudi-ownedSirius Star and itscrewof 25 (including two Britons) which was taken 450 nautical miles (830km) off the coast of Kenya.

The move was described as "unprecedented" by the USNavydue to the size of thevesseland the distance of the attack from the pirates’ usualtheatre of operations; the Sirius Star is the biggest ship taken by pirates so far, weighing three times more than an Americanaircraft carrierand capable of carrying 2mbarrels of oil, valued at around $100m (683m Yuan).

The pirates, who are often armed with AK-47s androcket-propelled grenades, usually hijack ships in the Gulf of Aden usingpowerful speedboatsto approach merchant ships which theyboardusinggrappling hooksand rope ladders.

Once the crew has beentaken hostage, the pirates direct the ship to aportin Somalia where the crew and boat are held until aransomis paid. There are currently 14 ships and 268 crew being held in pirate-friendly Somali ports.

Given that senior UN officials estimate that the pirates earn more than $100m (683m Yuan) a year from ransom payments made by ship owners, many ask why moremilitary interventionsdon’t take place.

NATO warshipsare in the area but US Navy officials have told the BBC they can "not be everywhere". That said, an Indian Navy frigate attacked and sank a Somali pirate 'mother ship'on Wednesday morning after coming under fire.

Most hijackings, however, do end peacefully although it can be a lengthy process. On Wednesday the Hong Kong ship MV Great Creation and its crew of 25 Chinese and one Sri Lankan were released after two months of captivity.