‘Several hostages in Somali waters could be Indians’

India being the fifth largest supplier of manpower to the shipping industry, it is very likely that of the nearly 614 hostages in Somali waters, many are Indians, said experts at a seminar on high sea piracy on Friday.

India being the fifth largest supplier of manpower to the shipping industry, it is very likely that of the nearly 614 hostages in Somali waters, many are Indians, said experts at a seminar on high sea piracy on Friday.

The seminar was organised by the Kolkata-based Association of Master Mariners.

According to experts, at present 30-odd vessels are in possession of pirates in Somalia, while a couple of small supplier ships are in Nigeria with six to seven crew members on board each ship.

“Unconfirmed reports claim that in the last four years, 22 missing ships have been traced back with different names, flags and superstructures,” said Captain L K Panda, Joint Director, Directorate General of Shipping.

Experts allege that while cases of plane hijacking and other forms of hijacking are highlighted in the media, cases of maritime piracy fail to draw the public attention.

High sea piracy, which has transformed from merely on-board robbery to hijacking and hostage-taking situation, is prominent in areas like South China Sea, Gulf of Thailand, Strait of Malacca, Indian Ocean, South America and Somalia-Gulf of Aden.

According to Admiral (Retired) B Guha, as seas have no strict boundaries, merchant ships become easy prey for pirates.

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“We need multinational cooperation. Negotiation should be tough and there should be an option of using diplomatic channels besides the use of force,” said Guha.