Argi Galbarritu (L), sister of the captain of tuna fishing boat Alakrana, mayor of Bermeo Xabier Legarreta and family member Jon Iturbe (R) remove a sign indicating the number of days of a hijack in the Basque town of Bermeo November 17, 2009. Spanish Fishing boat Alakrana has been freed by pirates who hijacked it in the indian Ocean six weeks ago and all its crew are safe Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero said on Tuesday. [Agencies]

The Spanish tuna fishing boat Alakrana sails in the Indian ocean after it was freed from Somali pirates November 17, 2009. Somali pirates on Tuesday freed the Basque tuna fishing boat hijacked last month and said a $3.5 million ransom had been paid for the vessel and its crew. The release of the Alakrana, seized along with its 36 crew in the Indian Ocean on October 2, came soon after news that pirates had captured another ship, a Virgin Islands-owned chemical tanker heading for Mombasa.  [Agencies]