Four armed pirates attacked a Basque Tuna fish while it was fishing off the coast of Somalia

[Ibon Barandika Ugartetxe]

The boat tuna freezer Basque "Playa de Bakio"has been assaulted by four armed pirates while fishing in Somali waters and has been made complete control over it, as reported by the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food of the Basque Government. The crew of the fishing crew consists of twenty-six, thirteen of whom are Spanish-eight and five Basques, Galicians and other thirteen different nationalities. Currently, a Spanish frigate sails for the Red Sea is directed to the area.

[Fred Vloo]

One person has been reported being wounded
Fred

[Ibon Barandika Ugartetxe]

According to telephone conversations with the crew it seems that it has not hurt, although the situation in the ship is delicate, it seems also that they go towards the port of Gaan.
The Spanish Government has created today a cell of pursuit and information in the Supreme Headquarters of Defence, which mission is to adopt the necessary measurements to achieve the rapid liberation of the crew members of "Playa de Bakio " .
The frigate of the Spanish Navy " Mendez Nu

[Fred Vloo]

Pirates who seized a Spanish fishing boat  off Somalia have taken the 26 crew members off the vessel onto dry land, the  wife of the captain told Spanish radio Tuesday.
The captain, Amadeo Alvarez, told his wife by telephone that the pirates  had ordered the 13 Spaniards and 13 Africans to disembark.
The crew "are a little more calm," his wife told Spanish National Radio. "I  spoke to my husband and they are well, they are being well treated."
She said they had "arrived on land," but did not indicate where.
A government spokesman would not confirm the information.
The father of one of the hostages also told Radio Euskadi that were 10  pirates and they are "soldiers."
Pirates armed with grenade launchers seized the tuna boat, the Playa de  Bakio, on Sunday, and have demanded a ransom to release the crew.
Spain said Monday it has appealed to France, the United States and NATO for  help in ending the crisis.
A Spanish military frigate on Monday left the Red Sea to begin searching  for the fishing boat off east Africa.
Defence Minister Carme Chacon Tuesday canceled all her impending  appointments in order to concentrate on the crisis.
The coastal waters off Somalia, which has not had an effective central  government for more than 17 years and is plagued by insecurity, are considered  to be among the most dangerous waterways for shipping in the world.
Last year more than 25 ships were seized by pirates in Somali coastal  waters despite US navy patrols.
The International Maritime Bureau advises merchant ships to stay at least  200 nautical miles from the Somali coast.
The seizure came two days after a Paris court charged six Somalis with  taking the crew of a French luxury yacht hostage earlier this month.
The six were captured by French special forces, along with 200,000 dollars  (125,000 euros) of suspected ransom money, after they released the 30-strong  crew of the yacht on April 11. They had held the group hostage for a week.

[Ibon Barandika Ugartetxe]

2008/04/26  Has been released crew of the "Playa de Bakio" All are on board the boat All are well,

[Guest]

Hi All

This from http://www.allheadlinenews.com/articles/7010773989

"Mogadishu, Somolia (AHN) -- A Spanish fishing crew was freed Saturday after Somalian pirates captured their vessel last Sunday while the crew fished for tuna 200 nautical miles off the horn of Africa.

Spanish officials will not confirm that they paid the 1.2 million dollar ransom the pirates demanded, but the Associated Press reported that Abdi Khalif Ahmed, chairman of the Haradhere local port authority in central Somalia, said late Saturday that the ransom was paid.

He added, "The ship is free and the pirates disappeared into their villages,"

The AP reported that the ship's crew of 13 Spaniards and 13 Africans was captured when the pirates shot rocket propelled grenades at the 250-foot trawler from Spain's Basque region."

Regards