20101018
africanews

Somali pirates are holding at least 26 foreign ships with 474 seafarers, an international maritime body Ecoterra said on Monday. The maritime group said among the 474 seafarers is an aging British couple and other five Somali born hostages from a breakaway region of Somaliland who are languishing in the pirates' hands.

"At least 26 foreign vessels plus one barge are kept in Somali (pirates) hands against the will of their owners as of Oct. 17, 16h00 UTC, while at least 474 hostages or captives -- including an elderly British yachting couple and the 5 new hostages from Somaliland -- suffer to be released," Ecoterra International said.

But the European Union Naval Force Somalia said the Somali pirates are currently holding 19 vessels, including the latest South Korean vessel.

Ecoterra International said it does not account for the smaller sea-jacked vessels from Yemen or Iran and those from countries considered perhaps less important countries.

"The smaller and older vessels often have even a larger crew than large modern vessels -- and it is the well-being of the seafarers that counts -- not the insured vessels," the maritime body said.

"In any case it is still the highest number of abducted vessels at the Horn of Africa since all times and the scourge started to sore immediately with the inception of foreign naval forces in these waters since 2008," the group said in a statement.

Meanwhile, Somali pirates released Panama-flagged bulk ship with 21 crew members from Philippines. The group hijacked the MV Voc Daisy ship on April 21 as it was sailing 190 miles south east of the Omani port of Salalah.

"The ship was released on Sunday, and it is headed to Salalah. The 21-Filipino crew are safe," Andrew Mwangura of the East African Seafarers Assistance Programme said. It is not clear whether any ransom was paid.