Spain dispatched a warship and called for Nato help Monday after Somali pirates boarded a Spanish fishing boat and seized the crew.
The Playa de Bakio was fishing for tuna about 250 miles off Somalia when it was attacked with grenade launchers at around 1pm on Sunday and boarded by four men.
It is thought that the vessel was damaged, but Monday afternoon it appeared to be heading for land.
Spanish media reported that the boat was bound for the Somali town of Gaan.
Purse seiner Playa de Bakio
Its 26 crew members, among them 13 Spaniards and 13 African nationals, were believed to be unharmed. “I am the captain of the boat... we are all well and there is no problem, for the moment there is no problem,†said Amadeo Alvarez, 55, the Galician skipper, speaking to Spanish national radio.
He was interrupted by a man who identified himself as a member of a “Somalia militia†and said in broken English that there would be no problems if their demands were met. Details of the pirates’ demands have not been made public but the Somali was heard to say: “It’s a question of money.â€
