Coast Guard Cutter Dependable Returns to Homeport After 62-Day Patrol

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.