Pirates take Spanish fishing boat

Somali piracy has become a major international issue

A Spanish fishing boat with a crew of 36 has been attacked by a gang of Somali pirates in the Indian Ocean, reports say.

Officials said that the Alakrana was seized in waters between Somalia and the Seychelles.

The European Union's anti-piracy naval force has begun an operation to make contact with the crew.

In the absence of any effective national government, pirate gangs have set up bases in parts of Somalia.

The gangs have made millions of dollars by holding crews to ransom.

International navies have been deployed to protect ships in the Gulf of Aden, one of the world's busiest shipping lanes.

Armed presence

The Alakrana sent a distress call to another Spanish fishing boat in the area, which then alerted the EU's anti-piracy force.

The British-based EU anti-piracy organisation then confirmed the hijack, which took place some 360 nautical miles off the east coast of Somalia.

It said a patrol plane had reported there were no other vessels in the area apart from a fuel-laden skiff used by the pirates, being towed behind the Alakrana.

After the alert was sent out, two military planes flew over the area and confirmed there were armed people on board the vessel.

Spanish navy ships and a reconnaissance plane have been sent to the area.

The vessel, which is owned by Echebastar Fleet, escaped a similar attack just off the Seychelles on 4 September.

In a statement, the company, which is based in Spain's Basque region, said it could not establish contact with the boat.

It has sent representatives to the country's embassy in Nairobi in Kenya.

The crew is believed to comprise Spaniards, Indonesians, Ghanaians, Madagascans, Senegalese and Seychellois.

The Spanish government has formed a crisis committee to tackle the situation.

First Deputy Prime Minister Maria Teresa Fernandez de la Vega said the priority was "preserving the safety of the crew".

She said the committee wanted to resolve the situation as soon as possible but noted the vessel "was fishing beyond the agreed perimeter".