In two months on the high seas of the North Pacific Ocean, the 160 crew members of the Coast Guard Cutter Douglas Munro traveled some 12,500 nautical miles, to ensure compliance by fishing vessels with Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission and North Pacific Fisheries Commission regulations. Prior to their return to their home base at Kodiak on Monday, Sept. 14, they conducted inspections of 11 fishing vessels of several nationalities.
The patrol was part of the annual Operation North Pacific Guard, a U.S. fisheries international law enforcement operation designed to deter illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing activity, including large-scale high seas pelagic draft net fishing. The Coast Guard did not report any illegal activities among the 11 vessels boarded.
Still, these boardings bolstered U.S. presence that promoted a strong deterrent value, relevancy and directly contributed to the economic stability and food security for the region, according to the commanding officer of the Douglas Munro, Coast Guard Capt. Riley Gatewood. The exceptional work ethic of the crew of the Douglas Munro set the standard for future Coast Guard engagements, he said.
The Douglas Munro is the Coast Guard’s only remaining 378-foot High Endurance Cutter from a fleet once 12 strong. The Douglas Munro, commissioned in 1971, has earned the title of the America’s Bering Sea Cutter for her many arduous patrols in Aleutian waters, Coast Guard officials said.
