Last month, Somali pirates hijacked a Chinese-owned fishing vessel off the northeastern coast of Somalia, taking 18 crew members hostage.
The pirates are demanding a $10 million ransom, with photos shared on social media showing the captives surrounded by armed men on the ship’s deck.
The hijacking occurred in late November when the vessel was seized and taken to Xaafuun district in Puntland, a semi-autonomous state in Somalia. The ship’s security guards, who were aboard, later joined forces with local armed men from the region. 
A Somali official revealed that the vessel had been issued a fishing license by Puntland in 2020, but it had expired by the time of the hijacking.
The European Union’s anti-piracy naval force, Eunavfor Atalanta, has classified the incident as “robbery at sea,” emphasizing the ongoing maritime security issues in Somalia.
Despite a significant decrease in piracy incidents since the peak in 2011, when the United Nations recorded over 160 attacks, piracy remains a persistent challenge in Somalia’s waters.
This decline in piracy incidents is largely attributed to the increased presence of American and allied naval forces in international waters.
The ransom demand and hijacking highlight the vulnerability of maritime security in the region, raising concerns about the resurgence of piracy and the need for continued vigilance and international cooperation to combat it.
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