Asian Glory moves

There are fears that one of two Zodiac Maritime Agencies-owned vessels hijacked off Somalia is currently being used as a pirate mothership.

The 4,363-vehicle Asian Glory (built 1994) has in the past few days been moved from the Somali coast out into the Indian Ocean.

“It is assessed pirates are using [it] for their pirate activities,” a statement from the International Maritime Bureau (IMB)’s Piracy Reporting Centre read on Saturday.

“At 14:05 UTC [on Saturday] the vehicle carrier..., previously hijacked and still under pirate control, was in position 04:19N – 052:13E.” The UK-flagged ship was said to be doing 14 knots.

Given its size, conspicuousness and relative lack of dexterity, it is unlikely that the Asian Glory is itself being used as a staging post from which to launch attacks on other vessels. There are reports that pirates are using it to refuel another mothership in the Indian Ocean. Other reports claim the captors may simply be escaping the unwanted attention of rival pirate gangs near the Puntland pirate stronghold of Hobyo where the ship has been held.

London-based Zodiac, which has been providing frequent though minimalist updates on the situations regarding the Asian Glory and its other hijacked vessel, the 13,900-dwt chemical carrier St James Park (built 1993), on its website, has made no statement on the latest development.

The Eukor-chartered Asian Glory and 25 crew were seized in the Arabian Sea on 2 January while en route from Singapore to Saudi Arabia. It is the most recent merchant vessel to have been taken by Somali pirates with poor weather conditions in the region said to be behind a month-long lull in activity.

The St James Park was taken in the Gulf of Aden on 28 December while en route from Spain to Thailand with 26 crew onboard.

In the case of both ships Zodiac’s latest statement maintains contacts continues with the ships and the crew are believed to be well.

“Negotiations with the Somali pirates are difficult but the company continues to make it clear that they are prepared to move quickly towards a satisfactory solution.”

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