DAR ES SALAAM, July 28 -- WHEN suspected Somali pirates seized the MT Asana in the Gulf of Aden on July 17, the vessel was widely described as a Tanzanian flagged fuel and chemical tanker.

While that description was legally accurate, it also risked creating a misleading impression.

A ship flying Tanzanias flag is not necessarily owned by Tanzania, operated by a Tanzanian company, carrying Tanzanian cargo or crewed by Tanzanian seafarers.

The vessel had reportedly departed Mukalla, Yemen and was bound for Bosaso, Somalia, before armed men boarded and diverted it towards Puntland waters.

The incident is best understood within the framework of the international ship registration system.

Every merchant vessel must be registered under a n...