Sept. 19 (Bloomberg) -- International ship owners and a union representing seamen appealed to the United Nations to take urgent steps to combat piracy in Somali waters.

The shipping associations' Round Table called for ``real and immediate action against brazen acts of piracy, kidnapping and armed robbery, carried out with increasing frequency against ships in the Gulf of Aden, by pirates based in Somalia.''

Yesterday, Somali pirates seized a Greek-owned bulk carrier and a Hong Kong cargo vessel, bringing to 55 the number of ships that have been attacked off the coast of Somalia and in the Gulf of Aden this year, according to the International Maritime Bureau's anti-piracy office in Kuala Lumpur.

``The solution, the industry stresses, is for more nations to commit naval vessels in the area and, crucially, for them to engage effectively, actively and forcefully against any act of piracy, and to intercept and bring to justice the criminals in order to re-establish safety and security to one the world's most strategically important seaways,'' the Round Table said.

The Round Table call yesterday was signed by the shipping association Bimco, dry-cargo association Intercargo, the International Chamber of Shipping/International Shipping Federation, tanker association Intertanko, and the International Transport Workers' Federation.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy on Sept. 16 called for a global effort to combat piracy after French naval commandos freed a couple held by Somali pirates who had seized their yacht. One pirate was killed and six taken prisoner in the raid.

Somalia's 3,300-kilometer (2,050-mile) coastline is considered one of the world's most dangerous stretches of water. Pirates were holding at least 11 merchant ships with 200 sailors captive as international naval forces have failed to secure the waters off the east African coast, the IMB said Sept. 11.

To contact the reporter on this story: Gregory Viscusi in Paris at gviscusi@bloomberg.net.

Last Updated: September 19, 2008 05:26 EDT