LONDON, Nov 20 (Reuters) - A.P. Moller-Maersk <MAERSKb.CO>, one of the world's biggest shipping firms, said on Thursday it was re-routing some of its huge merchant fleet to avoid the Gulf of Aden because of piracy.

"Vessels without adequate speed or freeboard will for the time being avoid the Gulf of Aden and seek alternative routing south of the Cape of Good Hope and east of Madagascar," it said in a statement.

The firm said the decision would mostly affect its oil tanker fleet. (Reporting by Stefano Ambrogi in London and Luke Pachymuthu in Dubai; editing by Anthony Barker)

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