Friday, January 15, 2021

USCG Cutter Joseph Gerczak on Patrol

The crew members of the Coast Guard Cutter Joseph Gerczak recently stopped in Honolulu after finishing the first stage of their patrol to uphold illegal fishing rules in the Pacific and augment maritime law enforcement self-sufficiency with Kiribati partners, the agency said.

The crew traveled about 2,400 million from Hawaii to Kiribati from Dec. 28 to Jan. 3.

“We’re working to increase awareness of unlawful fishing operations in remote territories of the United States, the Pacific, and the Republic of Kiribati’s exclusive economic zones,” said Lt. James Provost, commanding officer of the Joseph Gerczak. “Over the course of our patrol we queried one Chinese fishing vessel while enforcing Kiribati's sovereignty.”

The crew supported Operation Blue Pacific Task Force to ensure stability and security throughout the Indo-Pacific, the agency said.

“Effective maritime domain awareness requires unprecedented information sharing,” said Cmdr. Jason Brand, chief of enforcement, Coast Guard District 14. “We are eager to collaborate with Kiribati on initiatives of common interest.”