Norwegian firm orders ships to sail around Africa

[November 19, 2008]  OSLO, Norway (AP) -- The Norwegian shipping group Odfjell SE has ordered its more than 90 tankers to sail all the way around Africa to avoid the risk of attack by Somali pirates, instead of taking the Suez Canal shortcut through the Gulf of Aden.

The shipping group, based in the western city of Bergen, said it made the decision after pirates seized the vast Saudi Arabian oil tanker MV Sirius Star off Kenya.

"We will no longer expose our crew to the risk of being hijacked and held for ransom by pirates in the Gulf of Aden," said Terje Storeng, Odfjell's president and chief executive. "Unless we are explicitly committed by existing contracts to sail through this area, as from today we will reroute our ships around Cape of Good Hope."

The Gulf of Aden, off Somalia, connects to the Red Sea, which in turn is linked to the Mediterranean by the Suez Canal. The route is thousands of miles (kilometers) and many days shorter than going around Africa's Cape of Good Hope.

"This will incur significant extra cost, but we expect our customers' support and contribution," said Storeng.

Pirates seized more than two dozen ships off Somalia's coast last year, generally releasing them after ransoms were paid. NATO has three warships in the Gulf of Aden and the U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet has ships in the region, but the MV Sirius Star was seized far from where they patrol.

"Odfjell is frustrated by the fact that governments and authorities in general seem to take a limited interest in this very serious problem," said Storeng, describing the seizures as "ruthless, high-level organized crime."

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On the Net:

http://www.odfjell.no/

[Associated Press]

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