(CNN) -- A Taiwanese fishing vessel that was seized by pirates and anchored off the Somali coast for nearly 10 months was released Thursday night, the European Union Naval Force Somalia reported.

The Win Far 161 was held off the coast of Harardheere until the pirates left the ship and allowed its commander to retake control, the naval force said. The vessel was hijacked April in the Somali Basin, about 184 miles north of the Seychelles islands.

The vessel reported that all 28 crew members were safe.

The boat was operating outside the EU NAVFOR area of operation and was therefore not registered with the Maritime Security Centre for the Horn of Africa, authorities said. The coordination center helps protect merchant ships from pirate attacks in the Gulf of Aden, Somali Basin and off the Horn of Africa.

The ship's owner reported that the crew was released with food, fuel and water. The ship headed out to sea, where it was being monitored by EU NAVFOR.

EU NAVFOR escorts Somalia vessels carrying humanitarian aid from the World Food Program to protect them in the Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean and to deter and disrupt piracy.