U.S. Carrier Group Ends 7-month Tour
The George H.W. Bush Carrier Strike Group (GHWB CSG) transited through the Suez Canal marking the end of more than seven months of Maritime Security Operations (MSO) in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations (AOO), Oct. 27. Commanded by Rear Adm. DeWolfe Miller, GHWB CSG comprises aircraft carrier George H.W. Bush (CVN 77), Carrier Air Wing 8 (CVW 8), Destroyer Squadron 22 (CDS 22), guided-missile cruiser USS Philippine Sea (CG 58), guided-missile destroyer USS Truxtun (DDG 103) and guided-missile destroyer USS Roosevelt (DDG 80). GHWB CSG deployed Feb. 15 from homeports in Norfolk, Virginia, Mayport, Florida, and Whidbey Island, Washington, as part of a routine deployment of forces.
Foreign-flagged Fishing Vessels Must Re-flag to Fish in NZ Waters
The move, to take place over a four-year transition period, would send a clear message that New Zealand was serious about the fair treatment of fishing crews, the safety of vessels and its international reputation for ethical and sustainable fishing practices, Primary Industries Minister David Carter and Labor Minister Kate Wilkinson stated. The announcement followed the release in March of a report by the Ministerial Inquiry into Foreign Charter Vessels (FCVs), which was ordered after widely publicized cases of mainly Indonesian fishing crews jumping ship with claims of unpaid wages and physical abuse when their Korean-owned vessels docked in New Zealand.