HONOLULU – The crew of Coast Guard Cutter Oliver Berry (WPC 1124) returned to Honolulu Friday after completing a 46-day patrol in Oceania.
The Oliver Berry crew departed Coast Guard Base Honolulu in August and traveled more than 7,600 nautical miles from the Hawaiian Islands to the west coast of Fiji. The crew conducted the patrol in support of Operation Blue Pacific, Coast Guard District 14’s overarching, multi-mission endeavor promoting security, safety, sovereignty, and economic prosperity in Oceania.
The crew's efforts included enhancing maritime domain awareness, combatting illegal fishing activities across Oceania, and strengthening relationships with partners in the region. During Oliver Berry’s patrol, the cutter’s crew enacted two bilateral maritime law enforcement agreements with Fiji and Samoa.
While in Fiji, the crew exercised the shiprider provision of the bilateral maritime law enforcement agreement by hosting local law enforcement officers from the Fiji Revenue and Customs Service, Ministry of Fisheries, and the Navy, who conducted boardings in Fiji’s archipelagic waters. The shipriders patrolled both the east and northwestern side of Fiji near the Yasawa Island chain group. While aboard the Oliver Berry, the shipriders conducted 35 boardings on recreational vessels, sailing vessels, and commercial fishing vessels, allowing Fiji to monitor and protect their archipelagic waters from potential illicit maritime activity.
Following operations in Fiji, the cutter patrolled in the vicinity of Samoa, exercising an enhanced bilateral maritime law enforcement agreement for the first time to detect and monitor vessels actively engaged in fishing in their Exclusive Economic Zone.
Additionally, the Oliver Berry crew conducted two Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission boardings in the Convention Area to identify and counter illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing activity.
During their patrol, the cutter’s crew moored in Pago Pago, American Samoa, Nadi, Fiji, and Apia, Samoa. In Apia, the crew participated in multiple community relations events, including subject matter exchanges with the First Canoe Club and the Paddling Club. During a Partnership in Education event at a local school, the Oliver Berry crew held a first aid and CPR demonstration, demonstrating basic life-saving techniques. The crew also hosted the entire Samoa School of Maritime Training to show the students life on the Oliver Berry and convey the cutter’s capabilities.
“The crew of the Oliver Berry was grateful for the opportunity to operate with our counterparts in Oceania,” said Lt. Jasen Kingsley, commanding officer of the Oliver Berry. “We look forward to strengthening our partnerships in the future, as these relationships are essential to maintaining maritime safety, security and stewardship. This patrol would not have been possible without the outstanding preparations, efforts, time and dedication of all the crew, as well as the support from their families.”
Commissioned in 2017, the Oliver Berry is one of six Fast Response Cutters stationed across the Coast Guard’s Fourteenth District. The crew provides year-round search and rescue and maritime law enforcement coverage across a 15-million square mile area of responsibility, demonstrating the U.S. Coast Guard’s enduring commitment to our partner nations across Oceania.
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