A United States Coast Guard (USCG) vessel – USCGC Stone, has embarked from its base in Pascagoula, Mississippi on a multi-month deployment to the South Atlantic with countering illegal, unregulated, and unreported fishing, as part of its mission.
According to a USCG release on Tuesday, the brand new Legend-class national security cutter, one of the U.S. Coast Guard’s flagships, will provide a presence and support national security objectives throughout the Atlantic under the umbrella of Operation Southern Cross.
This is the service’s first patrol to South America in recent memory, and will engage regional partners, including Guyana, Brazil, Uruguay and Argentina.
In September, Guyana and the US signed a maritime pact for joint patrols which will see personnel from the two countries being placed on each other’s vessels.
The Shiprider agreement is a reactivation and endorsement of an agreement already agreed to many years ago but never entered into force.
In September, the Coast Guard released the Illegal, Unregulated, and Unreported Fishing Strategic Outlook, which it says reaffirms the agency’s commitment to global maritime security, regional stability, and economic prosperity.
According to Vice Admiral Steven Poulin, commander of U.S. Coast Guard Atlantic Area, “The U.S. Coast Guard is committed to the protection of living marine resources. IUU fishing threatens the health of fish stocks and adversely impacts those who follow global norms and national laws. This is a global issue, and IUU is a problem too big for any one nation. Only by working together can we protect livelihoods, ensure ports remain economically productive, and support and sustainable fisheries industry. Stone’s patrol demonstrates our commitment to the established rules-based order while addressing IUU fishing wherever a Coast Guard cutter is deployed.” – Vice Adm. Steven Poulin, commander of U.S. Coast Guard Atlantic Area.
Operation Southern Cross is conducted in conjunction with U.S. Southern Command, charged with managing operations in Central and South America by working collaboratively to ensure the Western Hemisphere is “secure, free, and prosperous.”
Nearly half the world’s population relies on fish for 20 per cent of their animal protein. IUU fishing removes access to this valuable protein source, particularly to the most vulnerable coastal States. IUU fishing also results in tens of billions of dollars of lost revenue to legal fishers every year as well as undermines the sustainable management of these resources, pushing them to the limits of their capacity, the release added.
In recent months, large numbers of Chinese ships have been closely monitored fishing in proximity to waters of several South American countries in the Pacific Ocean.
