PORTSMOUTH, Va. (WAVY) — The U.S. Coast Guard is scheduled to begin a multi-month fisheries enforcement operation with Bermuda.
U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Angela McShan (WPC-1135) will arrive in Bermuda on Wednesday as part of a multi-month fisheries enforcement operation in partnership with the Bermuda Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Royal Bermuda Regiment, Bermuda Coast Guard, and Bermuda Police Services.
Cutter Angela McShan will be the first of three Coast Guard ships that will patrol seaward of the Bermuda Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), which extends 230 miles from shore.
The joint operation will expand upon the long-standing U.S.-Bermuda partnership, as well as emphasize the protection of the environment and living marine resources in this area.
The fisheries operation is a result of recent meetings between U.S. and Bermuda officials focused on increasing efforts to counter illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing which has been a global issue recently detected in the Mid-Atlantic.
According to officials, if left unenforced, IUU fishing will “threaten global geo-political security, undermine maritime governance, and impact a nation’s ability to achieve domestic food security.”
