Somali Pirates Could Force Shipping Detours

Attacked ship anchored off Somalia

By Kevin Spak, Newser Staff

Posted Nov 18, 2008 10:43 AM CST

(Newser) – The pirates who seized the Sirius Star have reportedly brought their massive prize to anchor off the coast of Somalia, the BBC reports. The Saudi oil tanker’s entire 25-person crew is believed to be safe, but the consequences for international shipping may be far-reaching, Roger Middleton writes in the Times of London.

The pirates have never before attacked a ship as large and fast as the Sirius Star, and the growing threat may cause shipping companies to divert around the Cape of Good Hope to avoid them. That would add shipping time, which consumers will have to pay for. And the pirates are only getting more sophisticated, reinvesting ransom money in technology that enables them to attack faster and larger ships.

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This undated picture made at an unknown location shows the the MV Sirius Star a Saudi oil supertanker which has been hijacked by Somali pirates. (AP Photo/Fred Vloo)

This undated picture made at an unknown location shows the Sirius Star tanker conducting a trial run in South Korea. (AP Photo/ Newsis via Daewoo shipping yards and commissioned)

In this photo provided by the US Navy, pirates leave the Ukrainian merchant vessel MV Faina for Somalia's shore Wednesday, Oct. 8, 2008 while under observation by a US Navy ship. (AP Photo/U.S. Navy, Petty Officer 2nd Class Jason R. Zalasky)

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About 13% of Middle Eastern oil and gas passes the Somali coast—oil prices have already risen after this most recent attack. - Roger Middleton

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Somali Pirates Could Force Shipping Detours