Cutter Dependable Returns from Fisheries Enforcement Patrol
The crew of Coast Guard Cutter Dependable returned home to Virginia Beach, Virginia, Jan. 14 following a 40-day fisheries enforcement patrol focusing on offshore areas in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic.
Dependable operated in support of Coast Guard 5th District’s Operation Grouper Grabber and Operation Stars and Stripers covering the offshore waters of New Jersey, Delaware, North and South Carolina.
“This was a very unique patrol in which we had the opportunity to work close to home and help safeguard the nation’s valuable living marine resources,” said Cmdr. Bob Little, Cutter Dependable’s commanding officer.
These comprehensive multi-agency living marine resources enforcement operations focus on the following species: blue fin, blue fin tuna, Atlantic striped bass, snapper, and grouper within the exclusive economic zone of the United States.
Dependable’s operational achievements for this patrol were:
* Conducted approximately 41 law enforcement boardings.
* Carried out commercial and recreational vessels safety checks to include inspection of safety gear and equipment such as flares and life jackets.
* Ensuring compliance with fish catch offloads and by-catch limits.
Nearing its 48th anniversary serving our nation, Dependable and the other 26 aging medium endurance cutters are slated for replacement by a new class of cutters.
The new Offshore Patrol Cutter will operate more than 50 miles from land, carrying out the Coast Guard's maritime security and safety activities in support of national interests. The OPC will be an economical, multi-mission ship, providing pursuit boat and helicopter capabilities and interoperability with other military and federal partners, superior to the cutters they replace. Equipped with modern sensors, the OPC will provide the enhanced surveillance necessary to detect threats far from U.S. shores and meet the demands of the Coast Guard’s homeland security, search and rescue, law enforcement and other vital missions.
