Pirates are on the rise!

The news that the Saudi owned oil tanker ‘Sirius Star’ has been hijacked by pirates, I have to admit it was a little bit of a surprise. I am used to seeing pirates in the form of Captain Jack Sparrow from the Pirates of Caribbean, on films, so I was taken back that in real life they were able to get access to a oil tanker. And not just any tanker but one that was carrying more than a 1/4 of Saudi Arabia's daily oil output, worth £100 million ? Call me naïve, but why was the ship not a. secure and b. some how patrolled by other boats or helicopters etc?? The safety of such a large cargo of oil, I would have thought, would be at the top of anyone's list at the moment, given the world’s economic problems. The idea that oil tankers can be regularly captured and taken over by pirates is a serious risk to the economy and to world wide security. Or is it the case now that oil has become a disposable commodity? Because if that is so-please lower the petrol prices!! I am also wondering how many pirates there were and whether there is more to this story than we are being told?? At the moment, ‘Sirius Star’ is anchored off the coast of Somalia with 25 crew on board-that are said to be safe.Suddenly piracy is on the rise: a cargo ship from Hong Kong, ‘The Delight’, has been captured!! It was captured off the Gulf of Aden and the ship was carrying wheat. It was sailing towards Somalia when pirates took the ship. It had 25 crew on board? Sounds familiar?

UPDATE: Saudi Arabian ship- Apparently this part of the sea off Somalia is notorious for piracy, the people who have taken hold of the Sirius Star are thought to be Somalians. They make a living out of this by then asking for a ransom. However, the owners of ‘Sirius Star’ have not heard anything from the people who captured the ship. The crew have not yet been identified but are known to consist of two Britons, 2 Polish, 2 Croatian, one Saudi and 19 Philippine nationals. Isn’t it time that Saudi Arabia invests in some private security for their oil shipments?? If they are in need of more reasons, 90 reports of piracy have been lodged this year!!