Pirates release vessel

Somali pirates released a cargo ship and its crew of 23 on Friday: they had been held hostage for 10 months.

Managers of the company whose ship was involved, Paradise Navigation SA, based in Athens, had a message after the ordeal: The international community lacks the political will to combat piracy off Somalia.

“This was a long and extremely distressing hijack for all the families involved and those in the company trying to secure their release,” Paradise Navigation said in a statement.

“Owners and managers find it unacceptable that they were virtually left unaided to deal with these criminal acts on the high seas,” the company said. “It is a sad indictment of the international initiatives currently in place that they have proved ineffective in stopping piracy.”

Shipping companies are paying Somali pirates more and more each year to have their hijacked vessels and hostages released.

It is a lucrative business — and one that will continue until it is stopped.