The Kenyan government has refused to try any more Somali pirates in its courts citing a lack of international support.
A Kenyan government official said the country had received little help with the 'burden' of prosecuting and imprisoning pirates.
"For the last two weeks we have declined to accept captured pirates from some of our friendly countries and told them to try it elsewhere," Kenyan Foreign Minister Moses Wetangula told reporters.
"We discharged our international obligation. Others shied away from doing so. And we cannot bear the burden of the international responsibility," he said.
Kenya originally agreed to the EU brokered deal because the fight against piracy was damaging its economy.
Higher insurance costs for both cargo and tourist ships have reduced traffic in Mombasa's port.
Pirate attacks have become increasingly audacious despite an international effort to patrol one of the busiest shipping lanes in the world.
In 2005 the furthest attack took place 165 nautical miles off the coast of Somalia.
As of March 2010 that maximum distance now stands at 1,100 nautical miles, with the southernmost and easternmost attacks taking place in that month.
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