After 105 days, the crew members of the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Munro have returned to their Alameda, Calif. homeport after a 10,000-nautical mile patrol in Alaska, the agency announced March 8.
During the patrol, crew members of the 418-foot Legend-class national security cutter joined forces with the NOAA Office of Law Enforcement on two dozen commercial fishing vessel boardings as part of efforts to ensure sustainable fishing practices and federal compliance, the agency said.
“The continued existence of these fisheries depends on a healthy and productive ecosystem,” said Capt. Rula Deisher, Munro’s commanding officer. “As a federal law enforcement agency, it is the Coast Guard’s responsibility to ensure the longevity of these resources and safety of the fishing fleet.”
The crew was also the main search and rescue asset in the Bering Sea.
“A winter patrol in the Bering Sea is the ultimate test of the cutter and crew,” Deisher said. “I am so proud of the women and men of the Munro who braved the elements, operating in the Arctic region