EU-NAVFOR: Pirates seize ship with 15 Filipino seafarers

At least 15 Filipino seafarers were taken captive Thursday after pirates struck off Oman and seized a bulk carrier they were serving on. The European Union Naval Force Somalia indicated the bulk carrier MV Rosalia D'Amato managed to inform coalition warships it had been boarded by pirates. "The 74,500-tonne Italian-flagged and owned vessel was on its way to Bandar Imam Khomeini (Iran) from Paranagua (Brazil) when it was attacked by a single skiff. Coalition warships had communications with the vessel and were told: ‘pirates onboard stay away’. The MV ROSALIA D’AMATO has a crew of 21 (6 Italians, 15 Filipinos)," it said in its bulletin. However, it said there is no added information about the ship or its crew at present. Citing initial information, the EU-NAVFOR said the incident occurred Thursday morning at 350 nautical miles southeast of Salalah, Oman, in the Indian Ocean. It said the ship was registered with the Maritime Security Centre (Horn of Africa) and was reporting to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations. EU-NAVFOR said it is continuing to monitor the situation for now. As of March 9, 2011, there were still 121 Filipino seafarers on board 11 vessels held captive by pirates, according to the Philippine Department of Affairs (DFA). It said the Philippine government has undertaken measures to minimize the exposure of Filipino seafarers to pirate attacks, including making arrangements with ship principals and manning agencies for vessels to travel along a safety corridor and to adopt best management practices as deterrence to piracy attacks. The Philippine government has also taken up the issue of maritime safety and security in the Gulf of Aden and in the Indian Ocean before the United Nations and other international organizations. - KBK, GMA News