Somali Pirates Hijack Iranian Fishing Vessel

On Tuesday, June 2, Somali pirates hijacked an Iranian fishing vessel to use it as a mother ship for attacking larger ships. The mayor of the town of "Habo" in the semi-autonomous Puntland region of Somalia announced this news. This region has been one of the main bases for Somali pirates to attack commercial and fishing vessels in recent years. According to Reuters, crews of ships have been approaching the shores of Somalia more closely in recent years, contrary to the advice of maritime authorities. The pirates also carry out small attacks from their bases on the coast to seize vessels. Ali Shire, the mayor of Habo, told Reuters, "A group of Somali pirates hijacked an Iranian fishing vessel and are using it as a mother ship to hijack other vessels." He added that this Iranian ship does not have a fishing license in the area. Local fishermen are angry about the return of unlicensed fishing boats to Somali waters and blame them for the decline in their catch. The Puntland region is also experiencing severe drought, raising concerns that the Horn of Africa may witness famine again. The International Maritime Office based in London reported that three hijacking incidents have occurred in the region since the beginning of this year; one of these attempts failed because the crew locked themselves in a safe room, and two other ships were shot at far from the shores of Somalia. Somali pirates carried out about 237 attacks on commercial ships at the height of their activity in 2011 and took hundreds of crew members hostage. In the same year, a research group estimated that the global cost of piracy exceeded seven billion dollars.