20091218

NAIROBI (Reuters) - Somali pirates have released the Greek-owned ship MV Delvina, a Kenyan maritime official said on Thursday.

The bulk carrier shipping wheat was seized on November 5, northwest of Madagascar. It had 21 crew on board, seven Ukrainians and 14 Filipinos.

"They must have paid a ransom," said Andrew Mwangura of the Kenya-based East Africa Seafarers' Association. "It's on its way to Mombasa."

Heavily armed Somali pirates have made tens of millions of dollars in ransoms by hijacking ships in the Indian Ocean and strategic Gulf of Aden, which links Europe to Asia, despite anti-piracy naval operations there.

Delvina's company, Meadway Shipping said in a statement the ship was released Thursday afternoon and that all of the crew was unharmed despite 43 days in captivity.

The vessel was hijacked to the northeast of the Comoros Islands in the Indian Ocean whilst sailing from Ukraine to Mombassa in Kenya, it said, but would not disclose further information on its release.

"The company does not wish to jeopardise the safety of other vessels or crews that are still held by pirates in the area," it said.