Philippines Protests China's 'Illicit' Warnings, Coast Guard Conduct
The Philippines has lodged a diplomatic protest over what it said was China’s illegal confiscation of fish aggregating devices from Filipino fisherman in a disputed lagoon held by Beijing in the South China Sea.The Philippine foreign ministry said the incident happened three months ago at the Scarborough Shoal, a prime fishing site seized by Beijing in 2012 after a standoff that prompted an unprecedented international legal challenge by Manila.In a statement late on Thursday, it gave no other details about that incident…
ReCAAP, India Coast Guard Conduct Workshop
The Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships in Asia (ReCAAP) Information Sharing Centre and the Indian Coast Guard have commenced the 2017 Capacity Building Workshop in New Delhi, India. Themed “Striding Over Domestic Challenges,” this year’s workshop draws ReCAAP Focal Points from maritime enforcement and government agencies across Australia, Bangladesh, Brunei, Cambodia, China, Japan, Korea, Laos, Myanmar, the Netherlands, Norway, the Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and the United States. Participants will pool case studies drawn from recent incidents from their respective countries, discuss challenges, and share best practices to effectively deal with the evolving patterns of piracy and armed robbery against ships in Asia.
Cantwell, Cummings, Snowe Express Concern Over DD-250
Senators Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) and Olympia Snowe (R-Maine), Chairwoman and Ranking Member of the Senate Subcommittee on Oceans, Atmosphere, Fisheries, and Coast Guard, and Congressman Elijah E. Cummings (D-Md.), Chairman of the House Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation, sent a letter to Coast Guard Commandant Admiral Thad Allen expressing concern over the Coast Guard’s preliminary acceptance of the National Security Cutter BERTHOLF before many of the ship’s problems have been adequately fixed (text of the letter below).Last month, the U.S. Navy’s Board of Inspection and Survey (INSURV) conducted a thorough assessment of the ship, and recommended that the Coast Guard delay acceptance until eight serious, “starred” deficiencies were addressed.
TSA and Coast Guard Conduct Homeland Security Exercise
The Transportation Security Administration and the U.S. Coast Guard will facilitate a port security exercise today in Wilmington, N.C. to evaluate preparedness, prevention and the ability to respond to and recover from a terrorist-related incident. The Port Security Training Exercises Program (PortSTEP) is focused on building links within the Area Maritime Security (AMS) Committee. The committee assists the captain of the port in writing, reviewing and updating an AMS plan in addition to supporting other transportation entities that depend upon the port being secure. The exercise will involve the entire port community, including both public governmental agencies and private industry.
TSA and Coast Guard Conduct Security Exercise
The Transportation Security Administration and the U.S. Coast Guard will facilitate a port security exercise today in Wilmington, N.C. to evaluate preparedness, prevention and the ability to respond to and recover from a terrorist-related incident. The Port Security Training Exercises Program (PortSTEP) is focused on building links within the Area Maritime Security (AMS) Committee. The committee assists the captain of the port in writing, reviewing and updating an AMS plan in addition to supporting other transportation entities that depend upon the port being secure. The exercise will involve the entire port community, including both public governmental agencies and private industry.
