Basque trawler escapes attempted hijacking by pirates

A Basque tuna boat escaped an attempted hijacking Thursday by pirates in international waters off the coast of Somalia, powering out into the open sea until the attackers gave up.

No shots were fired and no one was injured in the ordeal in the Indian Ocean about 325 nautical miles off the coast of Somalia, Basque Country’s Fishing Department spokeswoman Belen Alonso told The Associated Press.

She said three speed boats approached a trawler, which is based in the Basque port of Bermeo, as it fished with a crew of 20 just after nightfall. “When they saw they were going to be boarded, the boat reacted quickly. It turned sharply and headed out into the open sea,” she said.

The pirates chased it for a while but eventually gave up, probably because they were already so far from the coast, Alonso said.

The fishing boat is owned by Pevasa, the same Basque company involved in a hijacking off the coast of Somalia in April. The earlier ship was boarded by pirates and held for six days until it was released.

The Spanish government and the company have never said if a ransom was paid, but ransoms are a significant source of revenue for pirates in the region. The waters off lawless Somalia are notoriously dangerous. Constant hijacking incidents involving commercial vessels have prompted calls for new international legislation allowing attackers to be pursued and arrested inside Somali waters.