Pirate Shot

A Somali pirate was shot while attacking a Bulk Carrier in the Gulf of Aden.

The pirate was reportedly hit in the leg when a security team on board the 53,100-dwt Avocet (built 2010) fought off the attack.

The injured pirate was part of a gang of eight attackers who fired at the vessel after making an approach in a skiff. A US warship then pursued and captured the gang, before eventually releasing them minus their weapons and ladders.

This incident highlights the successes and seeming failures of the efforts to fight piracy. On one hand the repulsion of the pirates ensures that still no vessel has been taken with an armed team onboard – however the release of the pirates indicates that the derided “catch and release” policy is still in evidence.