PORTSMOUTH, Va. — The crew of Coast Guard Cutter Dependable returned on June 22 to Little Creek, Virginia, after completing a 62-day Mid-Atlantic fisheries patrol, the Coast Guard 5th District said in a release.
From New Jersey to South Carolina, the Dependable’s boarding teams conducted 39 boardings and inspected the catch, gear and lifesaving equipment of U.S. fishing vessels to ensure they met all required federal laws and regulations.
During the patrol, the Dependable’s boarding team members identified a variety of lifesaving equipment concerns on board several commercial and recreational fishing vessels. The boarding team members helped those mariners fix their issues on the spot and educated them on the importance of maintaining their equipment.
“Living marine resource patrols are vital to ensuring the continued stability of the multibillion-dollar U.S. seafood industry as well as the stewardship and sustainability of living marine resources, such as fish, turtles and marine protected species,” said Cmdr. Rula Deisher, commanding officer of Coast Guard Cutter Dependable.
“Our boarding team members ensured that the mariners’ safety and fishing gear were fully operational and that they were operating within U.S. fishing regulations. We enjoyed the opportunity to serve the public so close to our homeport.”
The Dependable is a 210-foot medium-endurance cutter homeported in Little Creek and routinely deploys in support of counter-drug and alien migrant interdiction, living marine resources and search-and-rescue missions.
