MOGADISHU, Somalia — Somali pirates hijacked a Chinese fishing vessel off Puntland State on New Year’s Day, seizing the Liao Dong Yu 578 near the coastal town of Bandarbeyla in what authorities say appears to be a ransom-driven attack. The European Union Naval Force, which monitors shipping in the region, confirmed the incident as Puntland State security forces launched an operation to track the ship and secure the crew’s release.
The crew’s number and condition were not immediately known, and local officials provided no details about the pirates’ demands. Maritime security sources said the vessel was taken in the afternoon.
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- Vessel: Liao Dong Yu 578, a Chinese fishing boat
- Where: Off Bandarbeyla, Puntland State, northern Somalia
- When: Jan. 1
- Motive: Believed to be ransom
- Status: Puntland State forces searching; EU Naval Force monitoring; crew details unclear
The ship has a history with Somali piracy. It was hijacked in November 2024 off the Puntland State coast and released two months later after a ransom of about $2 million was paid, according to security officials familiar with that case.
The latest seizure revives fears of a broader resurgence in piracy along the Horn of Africa, where attacks surged in the late 2000s before plunging amid expanded international naval patrols and hardening of commercial vessels. Analysts say recent incidents reflect a mix of weak maritime enforcement, volatile coastal economies and opportunistic targeting of lightly protected fishing and smaller cargo vessels.
Complicating the picture are long-standing grievances over illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing inside Somalia’s exclusive economic zone, a driver of resentment that many local fishermen and officials say fuels piracy. Dave Harvilicz, deputy secretary for cyber, infrastructure, risk and resilience policies at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, said the Liao Dong Yu 578 had been engaged in IUU fishing in Somali waters. He said the vessel was targeting yellowfin tuna, warning that continued overfishing by Chinese and other foreign fleets risks collapsing tuna populations, with severe consequences for Somalia’s coastal economy and regional food security.
Somali authorities have frequently accused foreign trawlers of depleting marine stocks and operating without licenses, allegations echoed by international observers who track IUU activity in the western Indian Ocean. The EU Naval Force and other maritime partners have urged vessels transiting the region to adhere to best management practices, including enhanced lookouts, secured citadels and rapid reporting of suspicious approaches.
Puntland State officials said their forces were coordinating at sea and along the coast to locate the Liao Dong Yu 578, but declined to share operational details. There was no immediate information about the pirates’ identities or staging areas, which have historically included remote coves and fishing towns along Puntland State’s rugged shoreline.
The hijacking comes at a sensitive moment for regional maritime security, as shipping lanes connecting the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden and the wider Indian Ocean absorb cascading risks, from geopolitical tensions to criminal networks. While the scale of Somali piracy remains far below its peak a decade ago, the reemergence of successful hijackings — especially of fishing vessels that can be repurposed as “mother ships” — is prompting fresh calls for vigilance and coordinated enforcement.
As of Sunday, the fate of the Liao Dong Yu 578 and its crew remained unclear. Puntland State authorities said the search was ongoing.
By Ali Musa
Axadle Times international–Monitoring.
