Spanish boat freed

Good news, a Spanish ship has been released by pirates today. This article by the BBC wonders how much ransom was paid and also gives some updates on other naval hostage situations. The ending of this article was particularly interesting as it reveals the complex roots of naval violence.

"Somali pirates, using "mother ships" to launch their small-boat attacks on vessels, have extended their range to an area off the Seychelles in recent months in order to evade the navies patrolling the Horn of Africa.

More than 10 ships and 200 hostages are currently being held by pirates operating in waters off Somalia.

Many of the pirates began as fishermen and say they are stopping illegal foreign fishing boats stealing Somali fish, BBC international development correspondent Mark Doyle reports.

The upsurge in piracy in the region is a consequence of the failure to find a solution to Somalia's political disputes, our correspondent notes.

The weak central government faces an Islamist insurgency and parts of the country have broken away to form autonomous regions."

The BBC also kindly provides this helpful video on how to counter pirate attacks.