On The 4th November armed Somali pirates hijacked the crew of Taiwanese fishing vessel Chin Yi Wen. The fishing boat lost contact with its owner while operating in waters southeast of the Seychelles in the Indian Ocean.
The vessel was reportedly heading towards the Somali Coast with 28 crewmembers on board. The 260-ton Kaohsiung registered fishing boat was initially taken control of by six gunmen.
The crew managed to fight back and overpower the pirates to successfully regain control of their ship. It is believed that three of the crew sustained minor injuries during the fight.
A spokesperson for Taiwanese fisheries agency are reported to have said that in their memory this is the first time sailors of a fishing vessel hijacked by Somali pirates had freed themselves all on their own.
The crew are said to have then sought assistance from the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) based in Dubai who then tasked anti piracy Naval vessels to escort the fishing boat to the Seychelles where the injured received medical treatment.
On the 8th November the shipping company decided to resume its operations only few hundred kilometres away from where it was hijacked.
The MOFA (Ministry of Foreign Affairs) reported to give advice to Taiwanese fishing boats to stay away from waters where the hijackings have taken place, to prevent another incident occurring.
