Irishman among crew captured by pirates

Six people, including an Irish citizen, are being held on a ship captured by pirates off the coast of Somalia.

Four Russian crew members, an Irish chief engineer and a British captain are aboard the Svitzer Korsakov, an ice-class tug vessel, when it was seized on Friday as it was making its way to Russia's Pacific Coast.

The ship is now at anchor in Somali waters and the captain has said all crew members are being well looked after and morale is still high.

'We have been in contact with the master (of the ship), and subsequently also with the pirates,' said Patrick Adamson, a spokesman for Svitzer, the Danish firm that owns the ship.

'What we have heard is that they are unharmed, they have got food, water and are getting some sleep. Morale is good,' he said.

He also said the company is in regular contact with the families of the Irish Chief Engineer, the British Master, the Russian Chief Officer and three Russian crew members who are on board.

Mr Adamson declined to comment on whether the pirates had made any demands. 'Discretion will be of the utmost importance to the safety of the crew,' he said.

The Department of Foreign Affairs has confirmed that an Irish citizen was on board and the department is liaising with his family.

Captain Pottengal Mukundan, Director of the International Martitime Board said financial gain was often a reason why ships in these waters are targeted by Somali pirates.

He said there were 11 such hijackings last year involving 154 crew. In most cases those involved are released unharmed, he said.

Piracy has been rife in the waters off Somalia since warlords toppled military dictator Mohamed Siad Barre in 1991.

Attacks have reached unprecedented levels due to instability onshore as the country's interim government battles insurgents.

The US State Department calls it the 'preferred venue' for pirate attacks in the region.'

The 34.5m Svitzer Korsakov was on its maiden voyage when it put out a distress call early on Friday. There was no cargo on board.

The owners made contact with the ship by radio telephone yesterday afternoon.

The six men were crewing the ship as it made its way from St Petersburg via Singapore to Russia's Sakhalin island where it was supposed to service the oil industry.

Ransom demands are normally determined by the size of the ship, its cargo and the nationalities of its crew, experts say.

In August, Danish media said Somali pirates freed a Danish cargo ship, the MV Danica White, and its five Danish sailors after a security company paid a $1.5 million ransom.