Captain El-Sayed El-Shazly, who also serves as the International Transport Workers' Federation's liaison officer in Egypt, said negotiations with the pirates had failed and that the gunmen had resumed their demands for a higher ransom.
Speaking to Al-Shams TV, El-Shazly accused the shipowner of neglecting the crew throughout the crisis and said he had only recently resurfaced in an attempt to reach a settlement.
"We are under the mercy of a greedy owner who raised dirty and notorious flags on his vessel, without applying safety requirements or providing a safe working environment for the sailors," he said.
El-Shazly said all 12 crew members aboard the vessel remained safe and that some had managed to contact their families. Eight of the sailors are Egyptian.
He praised efforts by Egypt's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other authorities to secure the crew's release, but said the situation remained complicated because the pirates lacked a clear command structure and had no formal communication channels.
Asked about the possibility of a military intervention, El-Shazly warned against any operation by Somali authorities or peacekeeping forces.
"We are under the mercy of the situation," he said. "Any action would create a direct danger to the kidnapped sailors."
The vessel, Eureka, was hijacked by Somali pirates on 2 May and remains under their control.
Egypt's Foreign Ministry said it was closely monitoring the case after the ship was seized in Yemeni territorial waters and taken to Somali waters near Puntland.
Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty instructed Egypt's embassy in Mogadishu to follow developments and provide support to the Egyptian crew members.
El-Shazly said the vessel, which is 88 metres long, was insured through a Protection and Indemnity (P&I) Club and had an insured value of about $1 million.
The hijacking has renewed concerns over piracy off the Horn of Africa and in the Gulf of Aden, a key shipping route linking the Red Sea and the Suez Canal to global trade lanes.
Somali piracy peaked in 2011, when 237 attacks were recorded, before declining sharply due to international naval patrols and improved security measures.
However, maritime security agencies have reported a resurgence in attacks since late 2023.
According to the International Maritime Bureau (IMB), piracy and armed robbery incidents against ships rose from 116 worldwide in 2024 to 137 in 2025, including four vessel hijackings. Some of the hostages taken during those incidents were seized off the Somali coast.
Short link: