Kochi: Vice-Admiral KN Sushil, Flag Officer
Commanding-in-Chief, Southern Naval Command, today said there
has been a dip in the piracy activity.
"Currently there has been a dip. After the last incident we
have not come across any and it is expected that during the
next three months there is hardly going to be any issues in
this area," the Vice-Admiral said during an interaction with
mediapersons on the sidelines of a function here.
"We find that most of it (piracy) has now shifted into the
Red Sea," he said, adding the two attacks that were reported
recently took place at the Red Sea.
"We have reports that one merchant ship has been hijacked
and they are using it as the Mother ship. We hope in the next
three months there will be some peace," he said.
To a query on poaching activity around Lakshadweep island,
he said he had not come across much poaching activity there.
"But I am told that the Pacific tuna and Somalian tuna are
excellent quality fish. So there may be some," he said.
Sushil said a "lot of poaching" had been reported from the
Andamans and there was now "an institutional measure by which
we are tackling the problem." Navy has already started setting
up a full-fledged station at Lakshadweep island, he said,
adding sanction for the work had already been given.
"The problem we are facing is in transporting the materials
across and we are working with the island administration to
see that it is done. Hopefully, we expect to finish setting up
of the station by early next year," he said.
PTI
