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Office of Public Affairs | |
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| Feature Story |
Date: Mar. 26, 2008 |
The brotherhood of fisheries enforcement
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Representatives from six countries, including Russia, Korea, Japan, China, Canada and the United States, met this week in Seattle to discuss shared responsibilities and authorities on the North Pacific Ocean. The delegates from 17 agencies provide expert analysis on such topics as immigration, drug trafficking, maritime transportation and fisheries enforcement. The group, called the North Pacific Coast Guard Forum, has met semiannually since its inception in Tokyo in 2000.
Regulation of the fishing industry in the vast northern Pacific Ocean has historically been a challenge. Illegal, unregulated and unreported fishing practices flourished without a internationally-coordinated law enforcement effort, but one of the key outcomes of the 2004 NPCGF was the coordination of at-sea, combined operations with the member countries.
In 2005, coast guards from Canada, China, Russia and the U.S. focused on enforcing UN restrictions together as a team. It was their first joint operation, and the resulting communication was a success that was built upon in 2006. During that year, all six countries provided assets and joined in another combined operation.
In 2007, the operation’s progress continued in fisheries enforcement and bilateral exercises between the six member countries. The summer season brought more successes when three high seas driftnet vessels were detected, one being detained by the Russian enforcement vessel Vorovski. September 2007, Chinese and U.S. coast guards identified and apprehended another vessel rigged and actively fishing with high seas driftnets. During that month, five other vessels were spotted by U.S. and Canadian crews, which were later transferred to Chinese officials.
“Productive, operational teamwork is the theme at this forum," said Capt. Barney Moreland, Coast Guard liaison officer to Shanghai. "International teamwork is becoming the critical element to successful fisheries enforcement. Search and rescue and other high seas governance operations.” | |
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