Management of China's Tianjin Ocean Fishing Corp. are "highly concerned" about the safety of the crewmen on its fishing boat "Tanyo 8", which was seized by pirates off eastern Africa on Thursday, a company spokesman said on Saturday.

A file photo of the fishing boat "Tanyo 8"

An interim working group had been set up to rescue the 24 crewmen on board, including one Japanese, three Filipinos and four Vietnamese, he said, adding that the group worked around the clock to receive information and to ensure the safe release of the crew.

The other 16 hands on board were from China's southwestern Sichuan, central Henan and other provinces.

The "Tanyo 8" was forcibly seized by a group of Somali pirates as it was allegedly fishing off the Kenya coast.

Tianjin Ocean Fishing Corp. is a state-owned enterprise based in northern Tianjin with more than 600 employees and 22 vessels.

(Xinhua News Agency November 16, 2008)