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Coast Guard Establishes IUU Fishing, Environmental Response Centers in Hawaii

25Oct

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Coast Guard Establishes IUU Fishing, Environmental Response Centers in Hawaii

Two new marine environmental response units were established in Hawaii earlier this month, via ceremonies for the Marine Environmental Response Regional Activities Center (MER RAC) and Illegal Unreported Unregulated Fisheries Center of Expertise (IUUF COE). The Coast Guard said in an Oct. 23 announcement that Vice Adm. Andrew Tiongson, commander, Coast Guard Pacific Area and Rear Adm. Jo-Ann Burdian, Assistant Commandant for Response Policy, presided over the ceremonies on Fort Island, Hawaii, on Oct. 11. The intent, according to the Guard, is to encourage sustained, long-term engagement with partner nations within the Indo-Pacific. “These new detachments, strategically positioned here in Hawaii will fulfill exactly what the Indo-Pacific Strategy directs.” Tiongson said in a s...

National Maritime Center Offers Free Replacement of Credentials Lost in Hawaii Wildfires

U.S. Coast Guard officials with the National Maritime Center (NMC) say they’ll provide duplicate merchant mariner credentials at no charge to mariners whose credentials were lost or destroyed during wildfires in Hawaii. Affected mariners are asked to provide a statement of loss to NMC via fax at (304) 433-3412 or email the statement to IASKNMC@uscg.mil. The statement should include the mariner’s full name, date of birth, current mailing address, current phone number and/or email address, and the mariner’s reference number or if that is unknown the last four digits of the mariner’s social security number. The statement should also describe circumstances surrounding the loss/destruction of the credential. Unless otherwise requested, any duplicate merchant mariner credential issu...

Hawaii Research Center Paying Commercial Fishermen to Collect Derelict Nets

Hawai’i Pacific University’s Center for Marine Debris Research has launched a project to remove derelict fishing gear from the ocean. A bounty will be paid to eligible commercial fishers to remove derelict fishing gear at-sea before it strikes Hawai’i’s coral reefs. Fishers registered in the bounty project will be paid between $1 to $3 per dry pound for derelict fishing gear found at sea and brought back to Oahu. Hawai’i Pacific is partnering with the Hawai’i Longline Association and Hawai’i’s Department of Land and Natural Resources’ Division of Aquatic Resources on the project. The goal is to remove 100 metric tons (220,462 pounds) of derelict fishing gear from the Pacific Ocean over two years. The program is partially supported by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration...