17th COAST GUARD DISTRICT ENFORCEMENT REPORT 01 JUN - 30 SEP 09 Prepared By: Response and Enforcement Branch Seventeenth Coast Guard District P.O. Box 25517 Juneau, AK 99802-5517 Table of Contents Page I. High Seas Drift Net (HSDN) Enforcement....................................................1 II. US/Russian Maritime Boundary Line (MBL) Enforcement..........................1 III. Donut Hole Activity .......................................................................................2 IV. Dixon Entrance Enforcement .........................................................................2 V. Steller Sea Lions and Critical Habitat Enforcement ......................................2 VI. Commercial Fishing Vessel Boarding Statistics............................................3 VII. IFQ Fisheries Enforcement ............................................................................3 VIII. Commercial Fishing Vessel Safety/Search and Rescue Cases ..................4–9 IX. Resource Summary.......................................................................................10 X. Arctic Operations .........................................................................................11 Appendices Appendix A 01 JUN – 30 SEP Boardings Without Violations .........................12–18 Appendix B 01 JUN - 30 SEP Boardings With Violations ...............................19–22 Figures 1. April – August MBL Activity ........................................................................1 2. Historical MBL Fishing Activity ...................................................................1 3. Donut Hole Vessel Sightings .........................................................................2 4. Fisheries Boardings By Year..........................................................................3 5. Fisheries Violations By Year .........................................................................3 6. Historical Overview of CFVS Statistics ........................................................4 7. Annual HC-130 Flight Hours.......................................................................10 8. Annual Major Cutter Days ...........................................................................10 9. JUN – SEP HC-130 Hours ...........................................................................10 10. JUN – SEP Major Cutter Days.....................................................................10 Tables 1. Commercial Fishing Vessel Search and Rescue Case Summaries ............5–8 List of Abbreviations CFVS – Commercial Fishing Vessel Safety HSDN – High Seas Drift Net FBS - Russian Federal Border Service MBL – US/Russian Maritime Boundary FF/V – Foreign Fishing Vessel NPSC – North Pacific SAR Coordinator GOA – Gulf of Alaska SAR – Search and Rescue HC-130 – USCG Fixed-Wing Aircraft UMIB –Urgent Marine Info Broadcast HEC/MEC – High/Medium Endurance Cutters WLB – 180ft or 225ft Buoy Tender HH65/60 – CG helicopter WPB – 110ft Patrol Boat i I. High Seas Drift Net (HSDN) Enforcement The USCGC RUSH began extended high seas drift net (HSDN) and illegal unregulated and unreported (IUU) fisheries enforcement patrols. The RUSH patrol began in August and is expected to continue through early November. The cutter will focus their efforts on the northern and western portions of the North Pacific Anadromous Fish Commission Convention zone. Air Station Kodiak HC-130s will be flying support missions for the cutter from Shemya. The RUSH will also conduct port calls in Japan and China with the intent to build cooperation with participating nations. The Canadian Air Force flew a 10-day September deployment from Hawaii. The Canadian flights provided comprehensive coverage of the southeast portion of the High Threat Area and detected no HSDN/IUU activity. The Russian Federal Border Service conducted aircraft patrols in the western portion of the High Threat Area. While there appeared to be some illegal transshipment activity of fish from the Russian EEZ, they found no HSDN activity. The Japan Coast Guard vessel Yashima (with helo on board) sighted 14 fishing vessels while patrolling in the Convention area, but none were using driftnets. The Japanese Coast Guard Gulfstream-V flight found 10 fishing vessels, but none using driftnet gear. The Fisheries Agency Japan vessels patrolled for 90 days, and their fixed wing aircraft conducted 13 sorties, all with negative results for HSDN activity. China’s Fisheries Law Enforcement Command apprehended a possible HSDN vessel (F/V HU SHUN YU 809) on 10 August. No details are available at this time. II. US/Russian Maritime Boundary Line (MBL) Enforcement Fishing pressure along the MBL remains quite low, and there is no indication that the downward trends seen in recent years will change. The maximum number of vessels detected (Figures 1 & 2) dropped from 52 in 2001 to a low of about 5 in 2005. The density increased slightly in 2007 and 2008 (comparable to 2004 levels), but has subsequently dropped back to historic lows below 2005 levels, and overall numbers of fishing vessels remain quite low, average fewer than five vessels operating along the line with no incursions detected so far in 2009. Figure 1. April – August MBL Activity Aircraft flew sorties out of Nome and Kotzebue in conjunction with other Arctic missions. For the reporting period, the following MBL details apply: 100 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 HC-130s flew 70 hours. 75 2008 2009 WHEC/WMECs patrolled 3 days. 50 25 0 Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Figure 2. Historical MBL Fishing Activity 1 III. Donut Hole Activity There has been no trial fishing activity so far in 2009, and no trial fishing activity is anticipated prior to the summer of 2010. The last activity was when two South Korean vessels (JOONSUN HO and NAMBUK HO) conducted trial fishing during the summer of 2007. USCGC MELLON boarded both vessels at the time. There have been numerous vessels sighted in or near the Donut Hole this year, none of which have been observed to be actively fishing. Most of the vessels Figure3. Donut Hole Vessel Sightings were Panamanian and Cambodian flagged (Figure 3) and appeared to be fisheries transshippers (not catcher or processor vessels). Those vessels are suspected of being involved in illegal transshipments of fish products harvested in the Russian EEZ. None of the vessels appeared to be rigged or equipped for direct fishing activity. IV. Dixon Entrance Enforcement Due to low threat levels, Coast Guard enforcement resources were limited to standby for Dixon Entrance. There were no significant fisheries violations detected during the reporting period. The U.S. and Canadian Coast Guards continue to work cooperatively on cross-boundary enforcement. V. Steller Sea Lions and Critical Habitat Enforcement The Coast Guard continues to assist NMFS in management activities to ensure current groundfish fisheries are not adversely affecting Steller Sea Lions or impeding their recovery. The Coast Guard does this through continued patrols of Steller Sea Lion Critical Habitat Areas. Cutters committed 356 hours, and aircraft flew 16 hours in support of this mission. There were two violations observed. Two vessels were sighted by Air Station Kodiak aircraft actively fishing inside Stellar Sea Lion No-Transit Zones. 2 VI. Commercial Fishing Vessel Boarding Statistics At-sea domestic fisheries boarding numbers were up by 34% (81 more boardings) over the same period last year. There were 8 at-sea fisheries violations (down from 14 over the same period last year), two of which were significant. Both of the significant violations were for fishing in Steller sea lion no transit zones. One was an IFQ longliner (see below), and the other was a halibut charter vessel. The charter vessel was actively fishing inside the Sugarloaf Island no transit zone. All other violations were minor, administrative compliance discrepancies. Figures 4 and 5 show the historic trend for boardings and violations over the last ten years. Figure 4. Fisheries Boardings By Year Figure 5. Fisheries Violations By Year 1200 400 100 10%91 Violations Rate 10% Do cksid es 350 90 9% 9% 1000 At-Sea 80 300 8% 8%8% 8% 8% 466 Reporting Period 70 800 70 250 7% 7% 7% 7% 60 6% 165 54 6% 600 152 200 50 47 50 46 125102 44 44 40 183 74 822 5% 915 150 40 40 37 400 76 36 748 714 3% 4% 656 30 4% 24 529 542 100 3% 496484 462510 20 3% 200 409 377 28 50 10 2% 0 0 0 1% 199719 98199920 0020012 00220032 00420052 0062007 20082009 1997199819992000200120022003200420052006200720082009 The June through September 2009 reporting period was one of the highest compliance periods on record. The fisheries violation rate was down by 57 percent from the same period last year (down from 5.8% to 2.5%). The overall violation rate remained flat from the historic low last year at 3.4%, which shows a decline from that seen five years ago (down from 9.3%). Appendices A and B contain a complete list of boardings and violations. JUN 2008 - SEP 2008 JUN 2009 – SEP 2009 F/V Boardings (at sea): .......................... 241 F/V Boardings (at sea): ......................322 Boarding w/fisheries violations: .............. 14 Boarding w/fisheries violations: ............8 Violation Rate:........................................... 5.8% Violation Rate:...................................... 2.5% VII. IFQ Fisheries Enforcement There was one significant violation for fishing inside the Clubbing Rocks no transit zone. There were also five minor IFQ at-sea violations for administrative discrepancies. Coast Guard IFQ enforcement