It was a surprise, because the pirates have been hitherto targeting bigger vessels
Somali pirates are holding two Seychelles sailors aboard a fishing boat that was captured 65 miles west of Mahe last week, a government minister said.
Home Affairs, Environment, Transport and Energy Minister Joel Morgan said no demand had been made by the Somali captors, whose possession of the boat, the Aride, was confirmed through pictures sent to Mahe from a Spanish surveillance plane.
The boat was seen anchored at the Somali port of Hobyo, surprising officials in Victoria because the pirates have been hitherto targeting bigger vessels.
A Seychelles negotiating team was ready to begin talks with the captors, who were yet to make contact with Seychelles by Sunday night, Morgan said.
Morgan, who heads the High Level Committee on Piracy, said it was too early to release names of the Seychellois hostages "as the government and the family members have not yet agreed to do so yet".
He added that a crew of a Taiwanese boat that had been seized by pirates Thursday was expected in Victoria on Tuesday after they overcame the pirates.
Seychelles sent an armed vessel to help the Taiwanese ship's crew after the incident.
Here are details of ships held by Somali pirates:
* SOCOTRA 1: Seized on December 25, 2009, in the Gulf of Aden. The Yemeni-owned ship had six Yemeni crew.
* ICEBERG 1: Seized on March 29, 2010. Roll-on roll-off vessel captured 10 miles from Aden. Crew of 24.
* Three Thai fishing vessels -- PRANTALAY 11, 12 and 14 -- hijacked on April 17-18, 2010. Total of 77 crew. Prantalay 12 remains in captivity. Prantalay 11 and 14 were freed by the Indian navy.
* OLIP G: Seized on September 8, 2010. Maltese-flagged merchant vessel with 18 crew -- 15 Georgians, three Turks.
* CHOIZIL: Seized on October 26, 2010. South African-owned yacht hijacked after leaving Dar es Salaam. One crew member was rescued by a European Union anti-piracy task force but two others were taken ashore as hostages and have not been heard from since.
* ALBEDO: Seized on November 26, 2010. Malaysian-owned cargo vessel was taken 900 miles off Somalia as it headed for Mombasa from UAE. Crew of 23 from Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Iran.
* ORNA: Seized on December 20, 2010. The Panama-flagged bulk cargo vessel, 27,915 dwt, owned by the United Arab Emirates, was seized 400 miles northeast of the Seychelles. Somali pirates rescued 19 crew members of the Orna after their hijacked ship caught fire last June.
* SHIUH FU NO 1: Seized on December 25, 2010. Somali pirates appeared to have seized the Taiwanese-owned fishing vessel near the northeast tip of Madagascar. The vessel had a crew of 26 Taiwanese, Chinese and Vietnamese nationals.
* BLIDA: Seized on January 1, 2011. The 20,586-tonne Algerian-flagged bulk carrier was seized about 150 miles southeast of Salalah, Oman. The ship, with 27 crew from Algeria, Ukraine and the Philippines, was heading to Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, from Salalah with a cargo of clinker.
* SAVINA CAYLYN: Seized on February 8, 2011. The 104,255-dwt tanker, Italian-flagged and owned, was on passage to Malaysia from Sudan when it was attacked 670 miles east of Socotra Island. It had five Italians and 17 Indians on board.
* ALFARDOUS: Seized on February 13, 2011. The Yemeni fishing vessel was believed to have been seized close to Socotra Island in the Gulf of Aden and has a crew of eight.
* ROSALIA D'AMATO: Seized on April 21, 2011. The Italian-owned bulk carrier was captured 350 miles off the coast of Oman. The 74,500 tonne bulk carrier was on its way to Bandar Imam Khomeini in Iran from Brazil with a cargo of soya. The 21 crew consisted of six Italians and 15 Filipinos.
* GEMINI: Seized on April 30, 2011. The Singapore-flagged chemical tanker was seized off the Tanzanian coast, 115 miles east of Zanzibar. The 29,871 dwt vessel carried 28,000 tonnes of crude palm oil from Kuala Tanjung in Indonesia to Mombasa. The 25 crew consist of four from South Korea, 13 from Indonesia, three from Myanmar and five from China.
* FAIRCHEM BOGEY: Seized on August 20, 2011. The empty chemical oil tanker with its 21 crew was seized south of Salalah port in the Gulf of Oman. The 52,455 dwt Marshall Islands-flagged tanker is managed by Mumbai-based Anglo-Eastern Ship Management.
* LIQUID VELVET: Seized on October 31, 2011. The Marshall Islands-flagged Greek-owned chemical tanker was sailing from Suez and heading to India when it was seized in the Gulf of Aden. The 11,599 DWT, owned by the Greek firm Elmira Tankers, was carrying 22 people on board.
* ARIDE: Seized November 2011. The fishing vessel was captured 65 miles west of Mahe. The two Seychelles crew are being held hostage by Somali pirates.
Somali pirates capture Seychelles fishermen
It was a surprise, because the pirates have been hitherto targeting bigger vessels
Somali pirates are holding two Seychelles sailors aboard a fishing boat that was captured 65 miles west of Mahe last week, a government minister said.
Home Affairs, Environment, Transport and Energy Minister Joel Morgan said no demand had been made by the Somali captors, whose possession of the boat, the Aride, was confirmed through pictures sent to Mahe from a Spanish surveillance plane.
The boat was seen anchored at the Somali port of Hobyo, surprising officials in Victoria because the pirates have been hitherto targeting bigger vessels.
A Seychelles negotiating team was ready to begin talks with the captors, who were yet to make contact with Seychelles by Sunday night, Morgan said.
Morgan, who heads the High Level Committee on Piracy, said it was too early to release names of the Seychellois hostages "as the government and the family members have not yet agreed to do so yet".
He added that a crew of a Taiwanese boat that had been seized by pirates Thursday was expected in Victoria on Tuesday after they overcame the pirates.
Seychelles sent an armed vessel to help the Taiwanese ship's crew after the incident.
Here are details of ships held by Somali pirates:
* SOCOTRA 1: Seized on December 25, 2009, in the Gulf of Aden. The Yemeni-owned ship had six Yemeni crew.
* ICEBERG 1: Seized on March 29, 2010. Roll-on roll-off vessel captured 10 miles from Aden. Crew of 24.
* Three Thai fishing vessels -- PRANTALAY 11, 12 and 14 -- hijacked on April 17-18, 2010. Total of 77 crew. Prantalay 12 remains in captivity. Prantalay 11 and 14 were freed by the Indian navy.
* OLIP G: Seized on September 8, 2010. Maltese-flagged merchant vessel with 18 crew -- 15 Georgians, three Turks.
* CHOIZIL: Seized on October 26, 2010. South African-owned yacht hijacked after leaving Dar es Salaam. One crew member was rescued by a European Union anti-piracy task force but two others were taken ashore as hostages and have not been heard from since.
* ALBEDO: Seized on November 26, 2010. Malaysian-owned cargo vessel was taken 900 miles off Somalia as it headed for Mombasa from UAE. Crew of 23 from Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Iran.
* ORNA: Seized on December 20, 2010. The Panama-flagged bulk cargo vessel, 27,915 dwt, owned by the United Arab Emirates, was seized 400 miles northeast of the Seychelles. Somali pirates rescued 19 crew members of the Orna after their hijacked ship caught fire last June.
* SHIUH FU NO 1: Seized on December 25, 2010. Somali pirates appeared to have seized the Taiwanese-owned fishing vessel near the northeast tip of Madagascar. The vessel had a crew of 26 Taiwanese, Chinese and Vietnamese nationals.
* BLIDA: Seized on January 1, 2011. The 20,586-tonne Algerian-flagged bulk carrier was seized about 150 miles southeast of Salalah, Oman. The ship, with 27 crew from Algeria, Ukraine and the Philippines, was heading to Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, from Salalah with a cargo of clinker.
* SAVINA CAYLYN: Seized on February 8, 2011. The 104,255-dwt tanker, Italian-flagged and owned, was on passage to Malaysia from Sudan when it was attacked 670 miles east of Socotra Island. It had five Italians and 17 Indians on board.
* ALFARDOUS: Seized on February 13, 2011. The Yemeni fishing vessel was believed to have been seized close to Socotra Island in the Gulf of Aden and has a crew of eight.
* ROSALIA D'AMATO: Seized on April 21, 2011. The Italian-owned bulk carrier was captured 350 miles off the coast of Oman. The 74,500 tonne bulk carrier was on its way to Bandar Imam Khomeini in Iran from Brazil with a cargo of soya. The 21 crew consisted of six Italians and 15 Filipinos.
* GEMINI: Seized on April 30, 2011. The Singapore-flagged chemical tanker was seized off the Tanzanian coast, 115 miles east of Zanzibar. The 29,871 dwt vessel carried 28,000 tonnes of crude palm oil from Kuala Tanjung in Indonesia to Mombasa. The 25 crew consist of four from South Korea, 13 from Indonesia, three from Myanmar and five from China.
* FAIRCHEM BOGEY: Seized on August 20, 2011. The empty chemical oil tanker with its 21 crew was seized south of Salalah port in the Gulf of Oman. The 52,455 dwt Marshall Islands-flagged tanker is managed by Mumbai-based Anglo-Eastern Ship Management.
* LIQUID VELVET: Seized on October 31, 2011. The Marshall Islands-flagged Greek-owned chemical tanker was sailing from Suez and heading to India when it was seized in the Gulf of Aden. The 11,599 DWT, owned by the Greek firm Elmira Tankers, was carrying 22 people on board.
* ARIDE: Seized November 2011. The fishing vessel was captured 65 miles west of Mahe. The two Seychelles crew are being held hostage by Somali pirates.
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