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USCG Cutter Oliver Berry's Living Marine Resources Patrol The U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Oliver Berry (WPC 1124) crew returned to homeport in Honolulu on November 22, 2022 following a 38-day expeditionary patrol enforcing international living marine resources treaties and conducting joint operations with partner nations across the South Pacific.
During the 7,000 nautical-mile
patrol, the Oliver Berry crew conducted 12 fisheries boardings,
identified 16 fishery and safety violations, and completed 18
community relation events while sailing from Honolulu, Hawaii to
Kiribati, Samoa, the Kingdom of Tonga, and American Samoa before
returning to homeport. While patrolling Kiribati’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), the Oliver Berry provided patrol coverage to support the country’s maritime law enforcement efforts. The Oliver Berry’s next port visit to Apia, Samoa was the first by a U.S. Coast Guard cutter since 2018. During the port call, the crew of Oliver Berry participated in community engagement and outreach events, to include ship tours for partner maritime organizations and students, a visit to the Samoa Victims Support Group at Faleata to donate school supplies and hygiene products donated by the crew and the Honolulu Chief Petty Officer’s Association, a meeting with students from the National Maritime School to discuss life underway, and a beach clean-up around the harbor of Apia. The crew of Oliver Berry also attended a welcoming reception for U.S. Embassy Apia Chargé d’Affaires Noriko Horiuchi, who recognized the crew for assisting Samoa in strengthening its maritime governance and security, and highlighted the important role ship rider operations play in promoting maritime resource security. Prior to transiting to
Tonga, the Oliver Berry crew also conducted a Passing Exercise
with the FS La Glarieuse, a French Patrol Boat homeported in New
Caledonia. The event included a crewmember exchange, formation
steaming, simulated fishery and counter-narcotic boardings. While in Samoa, the crew partnered with officers from the Maritime Police Department and the Fisheries Department to patrol Samoan EEZ for two days, conducting four boardings and identifying six safety and fisheries violations on foreign and Samoan flagged vessels. While in the Kingdom of Tonga, Oliver Berry crew hosted officers from the Tongan Navy and Tongan Police Department to complete two boardings and identify one violation. “The importance
of exercising U.S. Coast Guard Bilateral Law Enforcement
Agreements with our Pacific Island partners can’t be
understated,” said Lt. Cmdr. Micah Howell, the commanding
officer of the Oliver Berry. “These agreements allow us the
opportunity to strengthen our partnerships and work closely with
our maritime counterparts to collectively ensure maritime
governance and security across the Blue Pacific.”
The Oliver Berry is one of six highly capable FRCs stationed across District 14. Their crews provide year round search and rescue and maritime law enforcement coverage across a 15 million square mile area of responsibility, demonstrating the United States Coast Guard’s enduring commitment to our partner nations across Oceania. Coast Guard Gifts | U.S. Coast Guard | U.S. Department of Homeland Security |
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