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Office of Public Affairs |
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| Press Release |
Date: Oct. 6, 2008 |
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| (See Journal Entries From Crew) |
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KODIAK, Alaska - The 213-foot Coast Guard cutter Acushnet departed Kodiak Saturday for the Bering Sea to enforce fisheries law enforcement and prevent incursion into United States waters by foreign fishing vessels. The 80-man crew aboard the Acushnet is scheduled to patrol the remote waters of the Bering Sea for six weeks before returning to their homeport of Ketchikan, Alaska. The Acushnet is the oldest commissioned cutter serving in the U.S. Coast Guard earning her the title "Queen of the Fleet" and ceremonial gold hull numbers. Originally commissioned as the U.S. Navy rescue and salvage ship USS Shackle (ARS 9) in 1944, she achieved an impressive service record during World War II before being transferred to the U.S. Coast Guard in 1946. Acushnet crewmembers will inspect U.S. fishing vessels to ensure they are in compliance with federally mandated safety and fishing regulations. Vessels with violations could be cited or ordered to return to port. Commercial fishing vessels are required to have specific survival equipment onboard such as a life raft and survival suits. "Historically, crews of fishing vessels with required safety equipment that is in good working condition have a greater chance of survival when exposed to the frigid waters of the Bering Sea," said Captain Michael Inman, the Chief of Response for the Seventeenth Coast Guard District, which is responsible for Coast Guard operations in Alaska, "Survivability for those without, or with faulty safety/survival equipment, is reduced to a few minutes." The crew of the Acushnet recently completed several days of training at the North Pacific Regional Fisheries Training Center in Kodiak where they reviewed boarding procedures and current fisheries laws. Journal entries, as written by the crew of the Acushnet, will be posted with photos throughout their patrol at: http://www.uscgalaska.com (go to news release page and select Journal Entries under News and Information). Entries and imagery from other cutters and Coast Guard personnel serving in the 17th Coast Guard District are also available. For more information about the Acushnet including photos and history, please visit: |
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