Somalia, (insidesomalia.org)-THE head of the International Maritime Bureau’s Piracy Reporting Centre has called for additional security measures off Somalia’s northern coast following last week’s attack on the French cruise ship Le Ponant.

Captain Noel Choong said that pirate activity off Somalia had moved up the country’s coastline into the Gulf of Aden as a result of measures taken by the international community to combat piracy off the country’s long eastern coastline.

This was creating a dangerous situation because it was bringing the pirates closer to major shipping routes and forcing vessels closer to the Somali coast than the 200 nautical mile distance recommended elsewhere.

“There are a lot of tankers carrying vulnerable cargo and we are worried about an environmental disaster if there is any attack on chemical or crude oil tankers,” said Capt Choong.

He said that the centre wanted to raise the issue with the international community but recognised that it would be difficult to reinforce naval surveillance without drawing resources away from the Somali east coast.

There was no fresh news regarding the Le Ponant and its more than 30 crew members yesterday. The vessel was believed to be still at anchor unde pirate control off the coastal town of Garacad, south of the port of Eyl.

French Defence Minister Hervé Morin said that the government was still in contact with the pirates but wanted to give no information which might endanger the lives of the vessel’s crew.

Meanwhile, the head of British shipping union Nautilus UK has written to foreign secretary David Miliband, asking him to outline the government’s position on the payment of ransom for seafarers taken captive by pirates.

He also raises the issue of the support available to shipping from friendly naval forces in piracy hotspots, and backs International Maritime Organization calls for governments to be more proactive in providing protection.

The letter from general secretary Brian Orrell comes after a Nautilus UK member was involved in the hijack of St Vincent & Grenadines-flagged tug Svitzer Korsakov, with the stand-off only resolved after the owners reportedly paid £350,000 ($689, 476) to the criminals to secure the release of the vessel and crew.

Mr Orrell speaks of a “disturbing deterioration in the nature of the incidents and the levels of violence and intimidation being used against seafarers”.

He goes on:” In this context, I wish to request that the Foreign and Commonwealth Office reconsiders its policies on piracy, and notably in the areas off Somalia.

“In particular, it is important to have assurances about the levels of assistance and protection for British seafarers – irrespective of the flag of their ship – operating in high-risk waters.”

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