Fourteen Kenyan sailors stranded in Indian Ocean after vessel fails off the Coast of Somalia

MOMBASA: Fourteen Kenyan sailors are among crew of a fishing vessel which run aground off the Coast of Somalia's semi-autonomous state of Puntland, a Mombasa based maritime consultant who monitors the Indian Ocean has disclosed.
Andrew Mwangura said on Friday in Mombasa that the Kenyans were part of a crew aboard the vessel christened Al Amal, a trawler flying North Korean flag that had a total of 34 crew members. Their names were not available bust reports most of them hail from Likoni area of Mombasa and have been at sea for long.
Other crew members aboard the fishing vessel comprise 6 Vietnamese, 12 Indonesians, 2 Yemenis and private security guards.

The private security teams on board such vessels are normally provided from pools of demobilized Somali pirates and coordinated by a ring of pirate leaders and associated businessmen operating in Puntland, Somaliland, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Oman, Yemen and Iran, according to local fishermen.

''The vessel developed mechanical problems while in the high seas and run aground upon approaching Hobyo while underway heading to Mombasa from Yemen,'' Mwangura said.
Mwangura said that the vessel sunk on Wednesday evening in an area which is 5 nautical miles from the former pirate strong hold of Eyl.
Separate information posted on Horseed Media, Puntland's director of Anti-Piracy, Mr Abdirizak Dirir confirmed the incident.
He added that the ship was illegally doing fishing activities in Somalia waters since last year and had been granted a ''false license''.
Puntland's Marine Forces managed to reach the scene after few hours, with the coast guard investigating reasons behind the sinking of the vessel.
For decades, foreign trawlers from Europe and other parts of the world have traveled to Somalia waters to take what they can without permission or licenses.
They use efficient mechanical equipment, taking massive numbers of fish stocks. It is estimated that Somalia loses more than $200 million per year because of illegal fishing.
Puntland is battling to curb illegal fishing, which is threatening fishing stocks and the lives of hundreds of local fishermen.
The vessel developed mechanical problem and run aground upon approaching Hobyo while underway heading to Mombasa from Yemen.

Mwangura said that estimates by officials in northern Somali region of Puntland indicated that there are up to 180 illegal Iranian and 300 illegal Yemeni vessels are fishing Puntland waters, as well as a small number of Chinese, Taiwanese, Korean and European-owned vessels.