A maritime security alert has been issued following the suspected capture of a Taiwanese fishing vessel in the Indian Ocean, north of Mauritius, logisticsweek reported and a similar report from sources close to the Prime Minister of Mauritius was received by the East African Seafarers Assistance Programme (SAP).
Contact was lost with the FV FENG GUO on 4 October and it is very likely that the vessel has been seized, along with its 14 crew-members.
Already a ransom is reported to have been demanded for its release, although in the meantime the ship may also be used as a ‘mothership’ in other sea-jacking attempts.
Vessel crews are therefore advised to exercise caution if they spot a white-hulled fishing vessel acting suspiciously in the area. The European naval mission Atalanta under EU NAVFOR, which recently extended its area of operation towards Mauritius, would so far not confirm.
FV FENG GUO, however, appears to have no valid licence issued by the IOTC, though it must be noted that due to the long-standing row with China over Taiwan, the Taiwanese vessels often are not listen in any records.
Officially, the vessel is also not included in the list of illegally operating vessels.
