For three days in March, two enforcement personnel from American Samoa patrolled the Pacific Ocean conducting at-sea law enforcement and fisheries boardings with the crew of USCGC Kukui (WLB 203).
The Pacific Island Nations and the United States understand the Western and Central Pacific Ocean’s marine ecosystem is fragile and effective fisheries enforcement is vital to ensure continued economic prosperity and a thriving ocean for future generations. The Western and Central Pacific Ocean is home to the “tuna belt” and supplies approximately 60 percent of the global tuna supply, which is worth an estimated $7 billion a year.
“I think this has been a beneficial three days in my career,” said Malieo Maui, an officer from the Marine Patrol Division of the Department of Public Safety. “I have been in the marine patrol for six years and this significantly adds to my experience over others who have been in the marine patrol longer.”
Maui shadowed boarding team members as they conducted three at-sea boardings to gain hands-on experience with safety equipment checks.
“We check life jackets, life rings, emergency procedures and emergency position-indicating radio beacons,” said Petty Officer 2nd Class Nicholas Duran, a boarding team member. “We look at the same things on every boat so Mr. Maui gained further knowledge to be able to recognize what is out of place.”
Part of the Coast Guard’s responsibility in law enforcement and fisheries patrols is ensuring that the fishing boats operating in the U.S.’s exclusive economic zones operate in a safe manner and in accordance with federal and territorial laws and regulations. With more than 5,600 fishing vessels registered with the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission, there are serious concerns about the sustainability of fish stocks. Illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing presents a significant threat to the multi-national fishing fleets that operate in the region.
“They are operating in a very dangerous environment,” said Lt. Cmdr. Brendan Harris, commanding officer of Kukui. “In addition to enforcing federal and territorial laws, we want to make sure that they have the equipment on hand to survive if something was to happen and, in worst case scenario, they were to lose the ship.”
Responsible fisheries management is vital to our nation’s wellbeing, prosperity and security. The Coast Guard is an important partner in fisheries management, as the U.S.’s at-sea enforcement agency.
“I think it was really important and beneficial for Mr. Maui and Mr. Hani, who were from agencies in this region directly responsible for the fisheries and management of the maritime domain, to seek out the professional environment that the U.S. Coast Guard operates in,” said Harris. “They are responsible for executing U.S. laws and regulations in American Samoan waters so it is important that we give them every opportunity for training to enhance their ability to carry out assigned duties. By enabling them to participate in three boardings with Kukui’s law enforcement teams, Mr. Maui and Mr. Hani were able to witness firsthand the professional nature of the U.S. Coast Guard as it conducts the prescribed mission in support of our nation.”
This experience and exchange of knowledge enable them to be more efficient and capable of enforcing federal laws.
“They seemed to enjoy participating and interacting with our crew and worked really well with the boarding teams,” said Harris. “They asked a lot of questions and really took an active role. I hope this was a valuable experience that will have a positive impact to the maritime enforcement community in American Samoa.”
Hanipale Hani, a conservation officer for the Department of Marine and Wildlife Resources as well as a deputized officer for the National Marine Fisheries Service, learned about how the Coast Guard enforces fishing regulations and the process for checking and validating the required documentation.
The Coast Guard executes professional exchanges under Pacific Partnerships with personnel in American Samoa, Guam and Saipan. These exchanges allow for capacity building, training, joint operations and ultimately the safeguarding of highly migratory fish stocks in the Pacific. In addition to work with U.S. territories the Coast Guard has bilateral agreements with nine Pacific Island countries. These agreements allow enforcement authorities from host nations to embark aboard a Coast Guard or U.S. Navy platform to enforce the host nations’ fisheries laws inside their EEZ.
The Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission is a regional fisheries management organization with 26 member nations, seven participating territories, and seven cooperating non-member countries. It is founded under the provision of the United Nations Fish Stocks Agreement, which seeks to ensure effective management, long-term conservation and sustainable use of highly migratory fish stocks in the WCPFC. The WCPFC establishes catch quotas, restrictions on gear usage and limited vessel fishing days to help in the management of the fish stocks.
These patrols and professional exchanges are conducted in support of the Coast Guard’s Ocean Guardian Strategy, seeking to protect the living marine resources and the U.S. exclusive economic zone from foreign encroachment, enforcing domestic fisheries laws and enforcing international fisheries agreements.