By Petty Officer 3rd Class Anthony L. Soto

Crewmembers aboard the Coast Guard Cutter Kukui, a 225-foot Juniper-class buoy tender, stationed in Honolulu, recently participated in a significant regional operation to further enhance U.S. and international efforts to protect the ecologically and economically valuable fish stocks of the Pacific. The Kukui crew dedicated eight days to Operation Kurukuru 2011, an international, multi-agency operation orchestrated by the Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency.

The mission was to conduct maritime surveillance operations to detect, deter, and eliminate activities such as illegal, unregulated and unreported fishing and other transnational crimes.

The operation was conducted in cooperation with Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Palau, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, New Zealand, Australia and the U.S. Navy.

A shiprider from the Cook Islands embarked Kukui to exercise the bilateral shiprider agreement signed by both countries. The enforcement officer’s presence aboard the vessel allowed the Kukui crew to patrol the Cook Islands’ Exclusive Economic Zone and assist in enforcing their laws and regulations. During their patrol, Kukui’s crew conducted eight boardings, of which, seven were found to be in compliance with Cook Island laws and regulations. One vessel had a discrepancy with their Vessel Monitoring System, which is a transmitter that provides visibility to the Forum Fisheries Agency and the sovereign nation of fishing activity in their EEZ. The vessel was subsequently directed to return to port to make necessary repairs.

In addition to Kukui’s patrol, an aircrew piloting an HC-130 Hercules airplane from Air Station Barbers Point supported the operation. The aircrew flew three seven-hour sorties during the operation over the EEZ’s of Tuvalu, Tokelau, Cook Islands patrolling for unknown vessels. In addition to the Hercules, numerous aircraft from Australia, New Zealand, and France also assisted in the operation. 

“This patrol has been an outstanding opportunity to develop synergy between U.S. and international partners in the Pacific,” said Cmdr. Bob Little, commanding officer of the Kukui.

“In addition to looking after U.S. interests while patrolling our EEZ's, we have assisted partner nations in patrolling their EEZs, and enhanced our ability to execute complex multinational maritime operations with our Pacific Island and Quadrilateral Defense partners. The more we conduct joint international operations the better we get at it, enhancing economic stability and security in the region.”

In addition to strengthening partnerships, Operation Kurukuru 2011 was a milestone in itself. This was the first-ever coordinated regional surveillance operation to include participation from all 17 Pacific Island members of the FFA and all four Quadrilateral Defense countries. Another highlight was the exercise of two Niue Treaty Subsidiary Agreements between Micronesia, Palau, Cook Islands and Samoa resulting in cooperative surveillance operations within neighboring country’s EEZ’s.

Operation Kurukuru was the biggest maritime surveillance operation to date in the collective fight to protect the region’s fish stocks in a region which is home to eight U.S. Exclusive Economic Zones.

Story by Petty Officer 3rd Class Angela Henderson

The Big Island of Hawaii lies in the center of the vast Pacific Ocean more than 2,500 miles from the nearest point of land. Yet despite its remoteness, dozens of aircraft of all sizes make the long flight each day without issue. For one pilot flying from California in a small twin engine Cessna 310, this was a routine well planned flight. 

Traveling at an average 175.2 mph, Charles Brian Mellor’s flight plan would have him reach the picturesque black beaches of Hilo just shy of 13 hours. During the flight, he had ample time to check and recheck his calculations. In doing so he came to a disturbing conclusion. He would not have the opportunity to fly into paradise. He was going to run out of fuel long before reaching the islands. 

At 12:30 p.m. the command duty officer, at the 14th Coast Guard District Joint Rescue Coordination Center, answers the phone and receives a briefing of Mellor’s situation from the Federal Aviation Administration in Honolulu.  Lt. Bridget Fitzgibbons learns that Mellor, a 65-year-old man is flying his Cessna from Monetary, Calif. to Hilo, Hawaii, and is running out of fuel about 500 miles from land. 

Fitzgibbons calls FAA Oakland for flight details that will help her make accurate decisions in planning Mellor’s rescue.

When Mellor made his flight plan in Monterey he determined how much fuel he would need to travel to Hawaii.  The Cessna’s internal fuel tanks do not allow for trans-ocean flights, so he was allowed extra internal fuel bladders to complete the transit.  Mellor stripped out the back seats of the aircraft and replaced them with the extra fuel tanks required to make the trip. 

Although tailwinds pushed Mellor and his plane 60 percent of the way, he encountered headwinds after crossing the point of no return. It was at this point his calculations indicated something was wrong. He had enough fuel for 14 hours but had been airborne for 13 of what should have been a 12 hour flight.  

Meanwhile, Fitzgibbons reaches out to Richard Roberts, District 14 response management deputy branch chief, to explain the impending rescue. Roberts, a former Coast Guard pilot, has vital experience and knowledge to contribute to the rescue. Although rescue of Mellor was imminent, he must first survive ditching his aircraft somewhere in the Pacific. Roberts and Fitzgibbons begin to formulate a plan.  

“The very first thing that needed to happen was to ensure all response coordination efforts are being managed to the fullest capacity,” said Roberts. “Phone calls were made to not only to Air Station Barbers Point, but U.S. Pacific Command, the Navy, the nearest hospital and then to Coast Guard Pacific Area Command Center in California and Coast Guard Headquarters.” 

The plan was to have a Coast Guard Air Station Barber’s Point HC-130 Hercules airplane aircrew rendezvous with Mellor.  The aircrew would coach Mellor through the complex process for ditching the Cessna. 

At Air Station Barbers Point, Hercules aircraft commander Lt. Eric Majeska gathers the aircrew to determine the best course of action. Majeska noted that the challenge facing them would test each crewmember’s ability to function in a high stress situation. As the aircraft commander, Majeska explained “everything is depending on your ability to remain calm and confident to help someone who is going to have to make decisions that will determine their own fate.” 

For the aircrew, the confidence to help Mellor would come from their training and experience. Majeska and his co-pilot, Lt. j.g. Bryan Weber, reached out to other seasoned pilots to tap into decades of flying experience.  For Webber, a junior officer and pilot, gaining the knowledge of others was crucial for developing the best course of action.

”His ability to ditch this plane successfully would depend on all the knowledge we would be able to lend him,” said Weber. 

Once Mellor entered the water there would be little the Hercules aircrew could do. That is when the MH-65 Dolphin helicopter crew takes over the rescue plan. They would meet the Cessna 310 at sea and deploy a rescue swimmer to recover Mellor after the plane ditched. As both aircrews prepared to launch, Fitzgibbons was busy developing the check list for the rescue plan.

In gathering information, Fitzgibbons realized that Mellor may have to ditch outside the 80 mile range of the helicopter. If this occurred, a backup plan would be necessary to rescue Mellor. 

Fitzgibbons made a call to the commanding officer of the Coast Guard Cutter Kiska, a 110-foot patrol boat stationed in Hilo. He was directed to get the cutter ready and underway within the hour.

“Our biggest fear at this time was Mellor may have to ditch his aircraft approximately 100 miles off the Big Island,” said Petty Officer 1^st Class Chris Sena, a watchstander working with Fitzgibbons.  Dolphin helicopters only have an approximate range of 80 miles. For this reason the Kiska and crew might become necessary. 

As the rescue crews were preparing, Mellor’s plane caught a small tailwind and was covering more ocean than previously anticipated. Sena and Fitzgibbons coordinated a track line with the cutter to ensure they would intercept the Cessna.  

By this time the Hercules aircrew launched, and headed northwest to rendezvous with Mellor. 

As the multiple Coast Guard assets took to the ocean, and air or stood by the radio, all the elements of the rescue began to come together like a well-oiled machine. All with one goal; get to Cessna and rescue Mellur. 

More than 150 miles off shore from Hawaii, the Hercules crew rendezvous with Mellor.  By this time the Dolphin helicopter crew had landed at the Hilo International Airport for fuel and waited for their call to launch.  

The Hercules crew established communications with Mellor and the pilots began to talk him through the ditching sequence and recue.  

“As soon as we found him on a frequency, we introduced ourselves and told him we are the Coast Guard and we are here to help him get through this,” said Petty Officer 2nd Class Miguel Martinez, the radio man with the Hercules crew.  “Immediately he seemed relieved and we switched to a radio frequency with less traffic.” 

The aircrew instructed Mellor to secure anything that was loose in his aircraft and began to review his two options for ditching the plane. Mellor’s options would be a power-on ditch or a power-off ditch. 

During a power-on ditch Mellor would have full control of the plane’s engine, Webber explained.  This allows the pilot to add power and make the airplane more stable or add power to gain altitude to go up and then back down. A power-off ditch is where the engine is already gone, whether it was secured by the pilot or not.  In this situation, Mellor would have only one shot at landing the plane in the water. 

“Mellor originally wanted to perform a power-off ditch,” said Weber. “However, we stood by our advice and said it would be best to conduct a power-on ditch.” 

The reasoning behind the power-on recommendation lies in the Cessna’s twin engine design according to Webber. It would be very unlikely for both the engines to cut off at the same time during a power-off ditch.  This would make the plane very unstable and Mellor would be forced to disable both engines manually, adding another task to the already complex situation.  

As Mellor debated which ditch to perform, the cutter Kiska and crew staged approximately 40 miles northeast of the Big Island. The Dolphin helicopter crew finished re-fueling and stood by for notification that Mellor was within range. 

Sector Honolulu watch standers instructed the Dolphin rescue crew to launch as Mellor crossed the 80-mile mark. With the guidance of air traffic control personnel, the helicopter crew also rendezvoused with Mellor. 

At this point the the command center watchstanders could only listening to the radio traffic and wait for the air crews to execute the next phase of the mission. From this point on it was up to Mellor to follow the instructions given by the Coast Guard aircrew and ditch his aircraft into the rolling seas off of Hawaii. 

13 miles from the Big Island the Hercules dropped to 1,000 feet and the Dolphin helicopter crew came in behind Mellor and tailed him as he descended into the South Pacific Ocean.  

“Looking out, at first I was sure he had it, he was going to be fine and we’re just out here for protocol,” said Petty Officer 3^rd Class Jeffery Moeschler, flight mechanic aboard the Dolphin helicopter. “But as I’m watching him drop down to 400 feet and lower, he just kept dropping.  I just think it isn’t going to happen.” 

In the front of the dolphin, aircraft commander Lt. Matthew Matsuoka, watched as the Cessna glided above the water. He calls for “rescue check two” and Moeschler and the rescue swimmer prepare for the impending rescue. 

They watch as Mellor glided his Cessna along the tops of the rolling seas, kicking up spray as the plane made several light brushes before dropping the nose and skidding across the surface as the Cessna spun 180 degrees in froth of turbid water before coming to a stop. Mellor kept the plane vertical, but within moments it begins to sink. The Dolphin crew approached as Mellor crawled out of the Cessna and onto the wing, clutching a life raft.  

Within seconds, the rescue swimmer, Petty Officer 2nd Class James Clyne, was lowered to the water. He swam to Mellor and guided him off the wing. Together, they swam to the  rescue basket.  Mellor was safely placed in a rescue basket and hoisted into the helicopter by Moeschler. Moments later the Cessna slipped beneath the surface and sank in more than 6,000 feet of water.   

Mellor was taken to Hilo Medical Center in good condition with no visible injuries. In the command center Fitzgibbons made final notes in the official operational summary report which was filled with a complex web of agency interaction, information sharing and asset coordination which led to the successful rescue. But the final piece of information recorded was perhaps the simplest and most important. One life saved.   

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U.S. Coast Guard story by Petty Officer 3rd Class Anthony Soto

Citizens of the United States are beginning to see the new Coast Guard cutters that will protect our coasts for decades to come. These sleek vessels mix modern technology with the Coast Guard’s tradition of selfless service and know how to deliver increased operating efficiency and capability. The crew of the first of these new ships has already made patrols from their homeport in Alameda, Calif., to the Eastern Pacific Ocean off Central and South America in support of counter-narcotics trafficking efforts, and as far north as Alaska’s Bering Sea to enforce fisheries regulations and protect our natural resources and Exclusive Economic Zone.

The Coast Guard Cutter Bertholf, the first of eight planned Legend-class National Security Cutters, is one of the newest ships in the Coast Guard fleet. It has state-of-the-art command & control equipment and sensors, extended range and improved speed, enhanced flight deck and small boat capabilities, and is interoperable with Department of Homeland Security as well as Department of Defense partners. Bertholf has a range of 12,000 nautical miles, can carry two helicopters or one helicopter and two unmanned aerial vehicles, and can accommodate nearly 150 crewmembers, but operates with an assigned crew of less than 110.

The 418-foot NSC's are a part of the Coast Guard’s ongoing effort to recapitalize its aging fleet. The project also includes Fast Response Cutters, which are currently in production, Offshore Patrol Cutters nearing final design and retrofitted aircraft lengthening their service-life and capabilities. The NSC is designed to meet the rigors of the Coast Guard’s multi-mission, maritime, and military role across the globe and in the harshest of weather conditions, with improved efficiency, effectiveness and crew comfort.

Since March of this year, Bertholf has patrolled the notoriously rough waters of Alaska. The Alaska patrol had been another milestone for the crew proving the NSC capabilities in the harsh Bering Sea. Although the crew endured cold weather and very arduous duty at times due to wind and seas, the ship performed superbly and as designed. Bertholf completed more than 37 boardings of fishing vessels, protected our maritime boundary line from encroachment by foreign fishing vessels, and provided search and rescue coverage across Alaskan waters.

Cmdr. Dave Ramassini, executive officer of Bertholf, said, “Bertholf is in the midst of a 100+ day patrol in the Pacific Ocean maintaining an active presence in our Exclusive Economic Zones while enforcing U.S. laws and regulations.  Bertholf also participated in a Department of Defense national defense exercise, operated with Army Special Forces, but saved the best duty for last, most recently patrolling the far reaches of the Hawaiian Islands Exclusive Economic Zone enforcing fisheries regulations on behalf of the Fourteenth Coast Guard District in Honolulu. We looked forward to enjoying the warm spirit of Aloha, and sharing our ship with our Hawaiian ohana before we return to our duties at sea.”

The NSC may assume the watch and responsibilities carried out by the forty plus year-old 378-foot Hamilton-class cutters such as Cutter Jarvis and Cutter Rush, homeported in Honolulu. These legacy cutters earned their fame conducting heroic rescues throughout the dangerous Bering Sea and Pacific, interdicting drug smugglers in the Eastern Pacific, protecting our EEZ and fisheries stocks, and responding to large-scale emergencies such as the Exxon Valdez oil spill, the tsunami in Thailand, and the earthquake in Haiti.

Now, Bertholf and her crew have had the opportunity to warm up during their first-ever Hawaii visit.

Capt. John Prince, commanding officer of the Cutter Bertholf, was glad to have this opportunity, “Aloha. It’s great to be back in Hawaii! I am happy to report that the National Security Cutter has delivered the Coast Guard a significant improvement in effectiveness and capability to protect and defend our county from a wide variety of threats. It was a great honor for me to sail the ship into Pearl Harbor and honor our WWII heroes. It also was a pleasure to open the ship for visits by Coast Guard members and families, our DHS, DoD and local partners, and the residents of Hawaii so they may get a first-hand look at the much needed new assets the Coast Guard is acquiring to continue our 220 year commitment to protecting and defending our citizens, oceans and country.”

Congresswoman Mazie Hirono and her spouse Leighton Oshima, and senior staff from the office of Congresswoman Colleen Hanabusa were among the more than 700 visitors from the local Ohana welcomed aboard Bertholf during its brief stay in Honolulu. The crew of Bertholf was privileged to discuss the ships capabilities with so many citizens before departing July 5 for the open sea. From the crew of Bertholf, Mahalo, to all who visited the Coast Guard’s newest cutter.  Today the Bertholf is underway enforcing laws and protecting life at sea. But it is doing so on the back of more than 200 years of tradition, pride and service, maintaining course and speed toward a new era of Coast Guard history.

U.S. Coast Guard story by Petty Officer 3rd Class Anthony Soto

Far removed from the public eye, in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, an international war is raging. The stakes of which are high, not only for the local populations, but for the world. At the center of the conflict lie one of the world’s richest fishing grounds. Not only are they filled with a variety of species tied to the health of the ocean, they are the driving force behind a multi-million dollar industry sustaining many Central and South Pacific nations. Meanwhile in other areas of the Pacific, depleted fish stocks are driving fishermen to the Central and South Pacific with the intention of taking what they can for personal gain and profit. The Pacific nations, having limited resources, find it difficult to stop these incursions. But partnerships between the U.S. Coast Guard have strengthened their defenses. This fight has placed the Coast Guard in the Pacific on the front lines of what is has been coined the “Fight for Fish”.      

At the center of this issue are the many nations in the Central and South Pacific. These include the Republic of the Marshall Islands, Kiribati, Christmas Island, the Cook Islands, American Samoa and many other small island nations and territories. Each of these nations has in place an Exclusive Economic Zone to protect their fish stocks. The construct of an EEZ began nearly four decades ago in an effort to stem declining fish stocks and protect the essential natural resources of the oceans from the incursion of other nations. In 1976, after a series of confrontations between Iceland and Great Britain over fishing rights, a compromise was reached and a 200-nautical mile EEZ was established around Iceland’s waters. These regulations were included in the United Nations Law of the Sea Convention; however the U.S. has not yet ratified nor is party to UNCLOS, but does, under customary international law, accept the provisions including EEZ’s. In that same year, the U.S. Congress passed the Fishery Conservation and Management Act, known today as the Magnuson-Stevens Act, which established U.S. authority over the 200-nautical mile EEZ off the U.S. coastlines and established the nation’s eight Regional Fishery Management Councils to legally protect U.S. fish stocks.

The fish stocks at the center of the Fight for Fish fall into the category of pelagic species, which include tunas, scombridae, sail fish, sword fish and marlins. Pelagic fish live primarily within the temperate waters of the world’s oceans, including the Pacific and conduct long migrations, going as far north as Japan and as far south as New Zealand. One issue of concern is the fact that migratory patterns of these fish can cross areas which do not have EEZ regulations established. This allows substantial numbers of fish to be caught when schools migrate from one place with regulations to a place which has none. For this reason, preventing illegal fishing within EEZ’s is especially important. Invasive unregulated fishing and can potentially lead to the disappearance of many fish species.

“Illegal fishermen come from any country and use all manner of vessels to encroach into EEZ’s,” said Lt. Cmdr. Jay Caputo, Chief of response for the 14th Coast Guard District. “They don’t pay for licenses or have an investment in managing the fishery.”

Caputo also presented a possible outcome of illegal fishing’s effect on one of these countries,

“You’re going to have a situation where there’s increased stress, there’s going to be people in distress and you may start to see the movement of people at that point.”

The island nations of the Central and South Pacific fall under the Western Pacific Council and agreements have been put in place for assistance in defending their EEZs. As a measure of support the United States and the U.S. Coast Guard have taken an initiative to assist these countries in patrolling and protecting their EEZ’s in order to help protect the fish stocks, create and maintain stability in the region and help build better relations throughout the Pacific.

Most recently the crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Rush and a helicopter aircrew from Air Station Barbers Point deployed across the South and Central Pacific over a period of more than two months beginning in mid October 2010. But the defense of EEZs is a joint endeavor between the Coast Guard, which provides assets like the 378-foot High Endurance Cutter Rush, and the law enforcement representatives of nations of the region. The Coast Guard has entered into six different agreements with six different countries, each of which has its own provisions and allows certain permissions. One such agreement allows agents to ride aboard Coast Guard Cutters to enforce their laws upon the seas around their nations with assets otherwise unavailable to them. Each area of patrol is different: some allow patrolling of the EEZ and the territorial sea, some allow only fisheries enforcement and some allow a wider scope of law enforcement. Because there is such diversity throughout the various countries in the Pacific, there is no all-encompassing agreement set. An International Ship Rider Agreement with the Cook Islands allows agents to ride aboard a Coast Guard cutter to assist in patrols and carry out specific actions according to their nations’ laws. This is just one example of a bilateral agreement established between the U.S. and each individual nation. Other nations have similar agreements in place.  

“The ship-rider agreement between our two countries is integral to our overall effort to effectively police our maritime zone and also enhances the knowledge and experience of our Police Maritime and Marine resources personnel who embark as ship-riders,” Ben Ponia, Secretary of Marine Resources for the Government of the Cook Islands said in a letter to the Coast Guard. “On behalf of the government and people of the Cook Islands, I would like to pass on our considerable appreciation for the surveillance patrol conducted by the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Rush in our Exclusive Economic Zone.”

The various island nations, U.S. territories and U.S. possessions patrolled by Rush included the Republic of Marshall Islands, American Samoa, Kiribati, the Cook Islands, Jarvis, Kingman and Palmyra. The Rush’s enforcement efforts resulted in the boarding of 38 ships, the patrol of six U.S. EEZ’s, and the exercise of three international ship-rider agreements. Of the 38 boardings completed by Rush law enforcement teams and their international partners, 41 violations were found aboard 25 different fishing vessels in several EEZ’s. In total the cutter steamed more than 14,000 nautical miles across the Western Pacific Ocean both north and south of the Equator.

“The ship-rider agreement, and the exercise of the ship-rider agreement, is just one way the United States can show support for these nations,” Capt. James L. McCauley, commanding officer of the cutter Rush said. “And it seems to be working exceptionally well.”

The successful patrol of the Rush shows that the Fight for Fish has measurable results. But the issue of protecting pelagic species within these EEZs is not over. As unmanaged fish stocks continue to decline in other parts of the ocean, fishermen from less bountiful areas will continue to search for richer fishing grounds, often within the EEZs of other nations. The challenge will be to create deterrence and enforcement in the foreseeable future.

“For enforcement, there needs to be adequate presence to create deterrence,” says Caputo.  “Catching more illegal fishermen will change the risk ratio, making it more costly to conduct illegal fishing operations.  Ultimately, if enforcement can create a level playing field for fishermen and protect the resource from illegal activity, the renewable fisheries resource should be sustainable indefinitely.”