After retaking pirated vessel, Pinoy crew, colleagues back fishing

After retaking their vessel from pirates who attacked them last weekend, the crew of a Taiwanese fishing ship— including eight Filipinos — resumed fishing activities. The 260-ton Kaohsiung-registered fishing boat “Chin Yi Wen" resumed fishing in the Indian Ocean after the incident, Taiwan's Central News Agency reported Tuesday. Quoting Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA), the CNA report said only three of the vessel’s 28 crewmembers sustained "minor injuries." Aside from the Filipinos, the crew included nine Chinese, six Indonesians, and five Vietnamese. MOFA spokesman James Chang said the vessel resumed fishing operations in waters a few hundred kilometers away from where it was hijacked. However, the MOFA reminded Taiwanese fishing boats to stay away from waters where hijackings have taken place. ON Nov. 4, the vessel lost contact with its owner while operating in waters southeast of the Seychelles in the Indian Ocean. It was sailing at full speed in the direction of Somalia, raising suspicion that it was highjacked. MOFA alerted various international anti-piracy bodies—including the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) and the International Maritime Bureau (IMB)—of the possible highjacking. It also asked assistance from the agencies. On Nov. 5, after the crew regained control of the boat, two UKMTO-authorized anti-piracy vessels escorted the "Chin Yi Wen" to the Seychelles and offered simple medical treatment, Chang said. - with Rose-An Jessica Dioquino, VVP, GMA News