Feature Stories

FEATURE STORY: Indian Ocean port security officials, U.S. Coast Guard agree interoperability the real weapon against African piracy, Sept. 10, 2009

2009-09-10T16:37:18Z

Office of Public Affairs
U.S. Coast Guard

Feature Release

Date: Sept. 10, 2009
Contact: 808-535-3230

FEATURE STORY: Indian Ocean port security officials, U.S. Coast
Guard agree interoperability the real weapon against African piracy

PORT LOUIS, Mauritius — A historic gathering this week brought together port security officials from 11 different nations and territories to collaborate on the way ahead to harmonize port and maritime security networking throughout the Indian Ocean.

It was quickly agreed the real measure of success of the second meeting of the South Asia and Africa Regional Port Security Cooperative (SAARPSCO) is the forum itself.

The Sept. 9-10 conference near Port Louis drew more than 120 officials, who held discussions on how to improve regional maritime security and safety.

Piracy off Africa’s coast was a focus.

“This conference could not have come at a more opportune time, when the world is facing serious threats from both international terrorism and piracy at sea,” said Mauritius Vice Prime Minister Xavier Luc Duval, who helped open the two-day event.

“The incidence of increased piracy attacks around the world, and especially in this region, is very worrying.”

The Mauritius Ports Authority (MPA), in collaboration with the U.S. Coast Guard, hosted the conference in an effort to bring together key senior policy and decision makers to meet and discuss global port security challenges. The attendees also talked about the latest in port and maritime threat detection technologies.

Representatives from Mauritius, the Republic of the Seychelles, India, Madagascar, Kenya, Germany, Reunion Island, Mayotte, Japan, Bangladesh, Italy and the U.S. attended this week’s conference.

Port security experts and industry professionals delivered presentations regarding the safeguarding of shipping lanes and ports in order to maintain economic stability in the region. The conference is the second of its kind – last year’s inaugural gathering was held in the Republic of the Maldives – and grew from U.S. Coast Guard interactions in the region.

As piracy off Somalia’s 2,720 kilometers (1,700 miles) of coastline increases, much attention is being paid to the subject in Indian Ocean countries such as Mauritius. This attention has resulted in growing collaboration between the countries in the region to thwart piracy before it grows even larger.

“The Indian Ocean has traditionally been a quiet place,” says Shekur Suntah, Director-General of the Mauritius Ports Authority. “Over time, however, maritime industry has grown and now there are threats on our doorstep. We will find answers together to these problems.”

Suntah says piracy has far reaching economic affects: cruise ships stay away from the region, shipping insurance costs rise and fishermen are reluctant to go too far offshore. He has chaired for the past year an informal collection of countries called SAARPSCO, or the South Asia and Africa Regional Port Security Cooperative. This cooperative or forum is a follow-on to last year’s Maldives meeting.

According to Commandant Ashish Mehrotra, an Indian Coast Guard representative assigned to another anti-piracy organization called ReCAAP (the Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery Against Ships in Asia), piracy off Somalia has increased substantially.

Reporting 111 documented attacks in 2008 and more than 126 already in 2009 off Somali, Mehrotra also discussed general trends with conference attendees. Mehrotra says research shows tankers and ships at anchor are most at risk.

The threats of piracy have spurred Indian Ocean region nations to share information and find strategies to increase the law enforcement presence in their vast exclusive economic zones (EEZs). These collaborations are made easier by existing networks already established by the U.S. Coast Guard.

Through its International Port Security Program (ISPS), the U.S. Coast Guard encourages bilateral and multilateral discussions with maritime nations around the world to exchange information and share best practices to enhance port security.

The ISPS program ensures international maritime security standards are implemented with all U.S. maritime trading partners.

The U.S. has sought ways to help its trading partners meet the ISPS code requirements. As lead agency for America’s maritime security, the U.S. Coast Guard works closely with international trading partners to promote reasonable and consistent implementation and enforcement of the ISPS code for enhanced maritime security in countries (and ports) that participate in global trade.

To conduct this information exchange, U.S. Coast Guard International Port Security Liaison Officers (IPSLOs) are assigned to three regions (Asia-Pacific, Europe/Africa/Middle East, and Central/South America) for worldwide coverage to assist other nations in facilitating bilateral exchanges.

One of those IPSLOs, Lt. Cmdr. Rosario “Mike” Russo of U.S. Coast Guard Activities Far East, had established strong relationships in his Indian Ocean region. The emergence of a network that would facilitate strong exchanges emerged quite naturally from his work with SAARPSCO. Russo laid the groundwork for what would become the group that met this week in Mauritius.

With maritime industry, Indian Ocean region governments and trade partners worried about the affects of African piracy – which can deter tourism, economic growth and maritime safety and security – the conference is extremely timely.

“This is the time to draw upon these collaborations,” said Russo, who leveraged valuable partnerships with the Mauritius Ports Authority to help make the conference a reality. “These discussions are the real weapon in the fight against piracy – the idea of information sharing and interoperability clearly worked in the Straits of Malacca and can work here as well.”

The Mauritius Ports Authority was instrumental, said Russo, in stepping forward to host the conference. MPA officials said they were pleased with the attendance and ideas. Also impressed was Lt. Col. Andre Didale Ciseau, Chief Executive Officer of the Seychelles Ports Authority.

During the conference, Ciseau contacted his superiors and the Republic of the Seychelles volunteered to host the 2010 meeting of SAARPSCO.

“We will review and build on what has been discussed here,” said Ciseau, who rose through the ranks of the Seychelles Coast Guard and has trained in America with the U.S. Coast Guard. “The U.S. Coast Guard has the maritime expertise and experience to assist us and we will request additional support perhaps in the form of a detailed audit of our security plan and perhaps training.”

Even as the participants at this year’s gathering make their way home, the discussions have already had a positive impact in the region. A sound network of information sharing and interoperability will be the basis of a regional strategy to combat piracy, says Capt. Gerald Swanson, Commanding Officer of U.S. Coast Guard Far East Activities headquartered in Tokyo.

“The first step is a venue where we can have these discussions,” said Swanson, whose unit executes the U.S. Coast Guard’s international port security mission across a vast 47-nation Asia-Pacific region. “That’s why a gathering such as SAARPSCO is so critical. The U.S. Coast Guard presence in the region is small, but we have those relationships already in place and it’s only natural to capitalize on them. Regional leadership, interoperability of multi-national relationships will be a means to combat piracy.”

NOTE: Still images and video of the conference are available for download at www.uscghawaii.com. For more information about this news release, contact Lt. John Titchen of the U.S. Coast Guard in Honolulu at 808-535-3230 or john.k.titchen@uscg.mil or Narad Dawoodarry of the Mauritius Ports Authority at n.dawoodarry@mauport.com or 230-206-5400, ext. 5417.

###

Saving Lives and Guarding the Coast Since 1790.
The United States Coast Guard -- Proud History. Powerful Future.

FEATURE RELEASE: U.S. Coast Guard buoy tender crew collects 32 tons of marine debris from Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, July 12, 2009

2009-07-13T05:36:15Z

Office of Public Affairs
U.S. Coast Guard

Feature Release

Date: July 12, 2009
Contact: 808-535-3230

U.S. Coast Guard buoy tender crew collects 32 tons
of marine debris from Northwestern Hawaiian Islands

By Ensign Linden Dahlkemper
U.S. Coast Guard cutter Walnut

HONOLULU -- While many Americans enjoyed their 4th of July holiday with picnics and parties, the crew of the U.S. Coast Guard cutter Walnut and some federal government partners continued an effort to clean up the ocean and reefs of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands.

The Walnut's crew returned Sunday night from a three-week multi-agency debris removal effort in the remote Northwestern Hawaiian Islands.

The crew of the Walnut, a 225-foot buoy tender home ported in Honolulu, partnered with NOAA and the U.S. Army’s 7th Engineer Dive Team to remove more than 32 tons of derelict fishing nets and other refuse from the coral reefs in the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument.

“It was a busy 4th of July for Walnut’s crew but it’s great that we can come to such a historic place and help make a difference by removing the marine debris collected by refuge personnel and help out by removing nets from the nearby islands,” said Cmdr. Jeffrey Randall, commanding officer of the Walnut.

The Walnut's crew departed June 21, for a 2,900-mile multi-mission trip to Maro Reef, Kure and Midway Atoll. One of the crew's goals was to remove as much marine debris as possible from the waters surrounding the monument using the ship's crane, lift bags and divers.

“Protecting our natural resources is one of the Coast Guard's many missions," said Eric Roberts, the marine protected species program manager for the 14th Coast Guard District, headquartered in Honolulu.

“America's marine waters and their ecosystems are vital to the health, well-being and economy of the nation. For this reason, the Coast Guard's role in carrying out the nation's mandates to protect our marine environment is of vital importance.”

Lt. Tony Perry of the NOAA Corps was aboard the Walnut during the "marine debris recovery patrol" and estimates that 52 metric tons of debris enters the monument each year.

"Recovery efforts like this patrol help remove this accumulated debris and protect the coral reefs and endangered species found within the monument,” Perry said.

On Monday, July 13, the cutter crew will offload the debris in Honolulu Harbor and transfer it to containers on the pier, which will then be picked up by Schnitzer Steel Corporation, which will shred the debris. The trash will then be converted into energy by the Hawaiian Electric Company at its co-generation plant.

NOAA's Pacific Island Fisheries Science Center's (PIFSC) Coral Reef Ecosystem Division (CRED) provided technical support using geographical information systems to survey, locate and provide expertise on removing marine debris. The NOAA representatives created daily survey plans, recommended navigation to the specified reefs and directed Coast Guard divers in debris surveys and data collection procedures.

In addition to the Walnut's marine debris recovery efforts, the cutter was engaged in a two-week law enforcement patrol of the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument. A Coast Guard C-130 air crew recently documented a vessel suspected of illegally fishing within a special preservation area of the monument. (See the story and photos at uscghawaii.com.)

"Papahanaumokuakea is considered a sacred place and protecting it is very important to both the Coast Guard and the people of Hawaii,” said Roberts. “Our patrol efforts are making a difference, and we will continue to provide a persistent presence throughout the region.”

The monument was established three years ago and it is the world's largest fully protected marine conservation area. NOAA co-manages the monument's resources in partnership with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the state of Hawaii.

More than 540 metric tons of debris has been removed from the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands since 1996.

The Walnut’s crew also delivered supplies to U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service personnel at the Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge.

NOTE: Ensign Linden Dahlkemper is a junior officer assigned aboard the Walnut. The U.S. Coast Guard, NOAA and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will talk with media at 10 a.m. Monday at Coast Guard Base Honolulu about the Walnut's recent deployment. Still photos and video of the marine debris recovery mission will be made available Monday. For more information about this feature story, contact 808-535-3230. For more information about the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument, please contact Ms. Keeley Belva of NOAA at 808-397-2660 x239 or 808-294-0932 (cell). For more information about NOAA's Marine Debris Program, please visit www.marinedebris.noaa.gov.

###

Saving Lives and Guarding the Coast Since 1790.
The United States Coast Guard -- Proud History. Powerful Future.