HALIFAX, Nova Scotia — The U.S. Coast Guard, Royal Canadian and Royal Danish navies held a pre-sail conference in Nova Scotia’s capital city of Halifax, Monday, in preparation for Operation Nanook.
Operation Nanook is the signature Canadian-led exercise that highlights respective nations’ ability to cooperate in the Arctic to address emergent threats and enforce international maritime regulations.
“Operation Nanook is an opportunity for all of us as allies to work together and collaborate to continue to put a presence in the northern waters,” said Royal Canadian navy Capt. Gord Noseworthy, commander of Task Group 300.10.
Collaboration in the region presents opportunities for the U.S. Coast Guard and key allies to train personnel, share best practices, build interoperability and enhance unity of effort for a variety of issues that can occur in the region.
As ice melts in the Arctic, illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing threatens food and economic security and raises concerns over potential human and labor rights violations.
“We are excited to be part of this valuable mission,” said Cmdr. Brian Gismervik, commanding officer of Coast Guard Cutter Northland (WMEC 904). “This has an immediate, real impact on the safety and security of a burgeoning Arctic region, increasing interoperability in order to ensure we have the mission capacity to meet the challenges that lay ahead.”
The U.S. Coast Guard and its allied partners, are resolute in combatting IUU-F to counter food scarcity, defend nation sovereignty, and protect indigenous communities in the Arctic region.
To learn more about IUU fishing, visit: www.uscg.mil/iuufishing.
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