Govt.working hard for release of Indian hostages from pirates: Vasan

Minister for Shipping G. K. Vasan said Wednesday that the government is working hard on trying to rescue the remaining Indian sailors held captive by pirates.

Speaking after the commissioning of an Inshore Patrol Vessel (IPV) - Rajdhwaj - of Indian Coast Guard (ICG) at Chennai Port, Vasan said: "India played a very concrete role, discreet role in this with the help of the defence ministry, the MEA (Ministry of External Affairs), shipping ministry and other agencies. We were able to plan (in) such a discreet way and talk to the foreign countries, and we saw to it that around 99.9 percent of our sailors are released today. And as I told you, only eight of our sailors are still there and I am very confident that our government's work will definitely bring all of them home safely."

Vasan also stated that ICG is working hard for the safety of fishermen and security rounds are made 24X7 in coastal regions.

The Indian Coast Guard is also taking steps like creating awareness among the fishermen community through arranging legal advices, conference, awareness meeting and more in routine process.

The southern tip of India is close to major trading routes from Asia to Europe. Many cargo ships now travel with armed guards to deter pirates. Sri Lanka, close to Tuticorin, is a popular boarding point for private armed guards.

Last year, a diplomatic row erupted when two Indian fishermen were allegedly shot dead by two Italian marines serving as security guards on an Italian-flagged oil tanker off the Kerala coast. The marines are currently being prosecuted in India.

The incident highlighted the loosely-regulated practice of placing private and military armed guards on ships for protection against pirate attacks.

Pirate attacks cost billions of dollars every year - as much as $5.7-6.1 billion in 2012, according to The Oceans Beyond Piracy advocacy group.