January 26 - Once again, Beluga Shipping has fallen victim to pirates off the coast of Somalia.
Beluga Nomination (pictured below) was sailing from Malta to Masan in South Korea when it was seized earlier this week, north of the Seychelles.
In a strongly worded statement, Beluga Shipping expressed its surprise that despite the fact that the emergency call was also addressed to the European Anti Piracy Mission - Atalanta - no active support was available from these forces until now.
Neither appropriate frigates, nor helicopters and aircraft could be made available even though the military assistance was badly required.
Niels Stolberg, president and CEO of the company said: "Admittedly, we are somewhat irritated. We are lacking an explanation, why within two and a half days during which the crew had hidden from the pirates in the citadel, no external help could be offered. Had no serviceable units been at disposal?"
Beluga added that it is spending several million Euros every year in defensive security equipment for its fleet, in rising insurance sums and the training of its crews, while in Germany there is just theoretical discussion whether and how the merchant vessels of German shipping companies could be more effectively secured against the rising number of pirate attacks.
