More piracy off African coast

Another ship, this time a 288-ft. luxury cruiser, was taken by pirates off the coast of Somalia.

Fears were growing last night for the crew of a luxury yacht hijacked off the African coast, as the British former girlfriend of one crewman revealed that he had been worried about a pirate attack.

Le Ponant, a 288ft cruise ship, was spotted sailing south after the hijack and was believed to be headed for the Somalian coast.

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The pirates have yet to make demands, but Bernard Kouchner, the French foreign minister, did not rule out paying a ransom.

"We've made contact and the matter could last a long time," he said. "We have to do everything to avoid bloodshed."

It's understandable that they want to avoid bloodshed, especially in the case of a pleasure craft with passengers on board. The problem though, as I posted last August, is that this piracy continues unabated because it's profitable.