REFILE-Wyser-Pratte says supports Fredriksen's break-up of TUI

(Corrects spelling of Wyser-Pratte in headline)

FRANKFURT, March 10 (Reuters) - U.S. activist investor Guy Wyser-Pratte supports Norway shipping magnate John Fredriksen's call to separate TUI AG's (TUIGn.DE: Quote, Profile, Research) shipping unit Hapag-Lloyd from its tourism business TUI Travel (TT.L: Quote, Profile, Research).

"It is exactly the right thing to do," Wyser-Pratte told Reuters on Monday by telephone from Hamburg. "It creates value."

He said he knows Fredriksen but declined to comment on what they had talked about regarding TUI.

Norway shipping magnate John Fredriksen, who owns more than 5 percent of TUI shares, is expected to have the needed 75 percent majority at the shareholders' meeting in May to push for a breakup of the company, Tor Olav Troim, Fredriken's spokesman, was quoted as saying in the Financial Times Deutschland on Monday.

Wyser-Pratte, who owns about one percent of TUI stock, said that about 50 percent of shareholders were already in agreement about a breakup and more support is expected.

Wyser-Pratte also said it made sense for Hapag-Lloyd to be sold or merge with shipping companies A.P. Moeller Maersk (MAERSKb.CO: Quote, Profile, Research), Singapore's Neptune Orient Lines (NEPS.SI: Quote, Profile, Research) or France's CMA CGM.

"I know they are interested," Wyser-Pratte said but added he did not know if they were in talks. (Reporting by Rajiv Sekhri)