The hijacking of the Aris 13 off the coast of Somalia is the first such event in that area in nearly five years and has caused international consternation. Part of the problem was that the slow-moving fuel tanker passed close to the coast instead of standing well offshore as is recommended, and it also had failed to take on any armed guards for the passage. The vessel is now at anchor not far from the location of the attack and the eight crew are being held with the expectation that a ransom demand will be delivered to the owners in due course.

The concern now is that this may mark a resurgence of pirate activities in this area as Somalia remains desperately poor and over fishing by international trawler fleets has severely depleted fish stocks. The Aris 13 may have been a special case given the risks it took and its lack of precautions, but all eyes will be once again be on the Horn of Africa in the weeks and months ahead to see if this marks the start of a new wave of pirate attacks.

BigOceanData can be your eyes in the sky to get a first-hand view of events as they unfold. Contact us now for a free trial and view the route and timeline for the Aris 13 before and after it was hijacked by simply entering the name into the search function. Click on the Piracy symbol on the map to read the detailed official report and access vessel information to find out more about the ship. The BigOceanData Piracy function will also show attacks as soon as they are reported in this area or any other of your choice, allow users to view past piracy events over the previous 12 months and even issue text and other alerts as soon as a new event is reported. The satellite map starkly portrays the harshness of the conditions that everyone involved in this latest event is having to cope with.

For anyone with an interest in maritime events in this or any other part of the world, the BigOceanData vessel tracking service is the indispensable partner.