NOAA

Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro today reiterated his commitment to restoring the Nation’s vital strategic shipping and shipbuilding industry.

Secretary Del Toro made the remarks at the U.S. Department of Transportation, Maritime Administration (MARAD) National Maritime Day ceremony, May 22, in Washington, D.C.

“History reveals that no nation has endured as a great naval power without also being a commercial maritime power, both in shipbuilding and shipping,” said Secretary Del Toro. “And for the first time in 125 years, we have a full-spectrum, global maritime competitor. That is why, as Secretary of the Navy, I have advocated so forcefully to revive commercial shipbuilding and the U.S. Merchant Marine.”

To achieve this goal, Secretary Del Toro has engaged across the Cabinet to advance a whole-of-government effort to rebuild the Nation’s comprehensive maritime power.

For example, last May, Secretary Del Toro met with Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg and Administrator for the Department of Transportation Maritime Administration (MARAD) retired Rear Adm. Ann C. Phillips to begin laying key groundwork for interagency collaboration that is at the center of our new national Maritime Statecraft.

“Our collective efforts have catapulted the importance of restoring America’s comprehensive maritime power to the top of the national agenda. We are now participating in multiple White House-led interagency processes on naval and commercial shipbuilding,” said Secretary Del Toro.

In addition, last year, Secretary Del Toro brought together the Maritime Administration, the U.S. Coast Guard, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and the Army to form a Government Shipbuilder’s Council to tackle common challenges.

“We are also working closely at the state level, including with the Governors of Wisconsin and Michigan, on improving shipyard communities and mobilizing the ‘North Coast’s’ world-class industrial workforce,” said Secretary Del Toro.

Other efforts include:

• Engaging with organized labor. Last month, Senior Advisor Steve Brock was present at the signing ceremony of an innovative union contract between Bartlett Maritime and the President of the Boilermakers Union. This new program will train union welders in the construction trades in shipbuilding work and deploy them as a rotational force to shipyards around the country.

• Working to restore competition in the U.S. shipbuilding marketplace. Earlier this year, Secretary Del Toro traveled to Asia to meet with the top executives of the world’s most advanced and productive commercial shipbuilders. He brought to the table a simple, yet profound opportunity: “Invest in America”—modernize and invigorate the U.S. shipbuilding ecosystem with your cutting-edge technology and processes.

• Expanding opportunities. Recently, the Department of Energy (DOE) expanded eligibility for its significant infrastructure and IRA loan program to include new and modernized commercial shipyards, as well as, construction of commercial ships at scale. These incentives should open a path for U.S. built ships to once again be part of our commercial sealift programs.

“On this National Maritime Day, I want mariners and those who love and support them to know a renaissance in American maritime power has begun, and we, in the Department of the Navy, are with you,” said Secretary Del Toro.

Congress established National Maritime Day in 1933 to honor the maritime industry’s significant contributions to the United States. Congress established National Maritime Day to honor the American steamship Savannah’s historic voyage from the United States to England, marking the first successful transatlantic crossing using steam propulsion, 91 years ago.

As a result, the PRNG, COPECO and members of the Naval Force of that country strengthen their partnership ties and acquire new knowledge and techniques in the handling of emergencies for the benefit of both countries as part of the State Partnership Program.

Lt. Col. Roberto González, from the PRNG, detailed his technical and military experiences in the support process for government emergency management agencies, the utilization of resources, the importance of planning and the integration of work teams.

“Sharing and the exchanging of knowledge with our Honduran brothers further ensures the effectiveness of both countries during rescue operations and civil safety processes during an emergency. There is always an opportunity to improve and learn new techniques and procedures; this is part of the purpose of the State Partnership Program,” said González.

Dr. Jorge Alberto Solís, assistant of the National Direction of Preparation and Response of COPECO, emphasized the importance of these relationships not only for the acquisition of new knowledge, but for the enrichment of the humanitarian and brotherhood sense that this entails.

“These relationships and this knowledge acquisition are vital for both parties because they reinforce our mutual support and brings new emergency handling skills for the benefit of our countries. Our purpose in this field is to protect lives and help in the rehabilitation of our communities,” said Solís. This, while urging members of the Naval Forces to take advantage of these opportunities to acquire new knowledge and use it when necessary.

The Puerto Rico National Guard State Partnership Program is managed by Captain Noelia Roldán and it aims to join forces between its partner countries, the Republic of Honduras and the Dominican Republic, in the exchange of knowledge, skills and techniques. These are to be implemented during the event of an emergency thus helping to improve military interoperability between states and/or territories and the partner forces of other countries. This demonstrates the capacity and benefits of military support to civil authorities, as well as helping with the development of cooperative security among allied countries of the United States.

“Puerto Rico became part of the State Partnership Program 20 years ago and the relations with our partner countries keep growing stronger. Every aspect learned has been extremely beneficial for all at the time of handling emergencies such as forest fires and natural phenomena as well as in the implementation of military strategies,” said Roldán.

KEESLER AIR FORCE BASE, Miss. — The Air Force Reserve’s Hurricane Hunters spent the weekend flying weather reconnaissance missions into Tropical Storm Chris off the North Carolina coastline and Tropical Storm Beryl in the Caribbean Sea to gather data for the National Hurricane Center in Miami.

The 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron began flying missions out of Keesler Saturday into then Tropical Depression Three, which developed into TS Chris Sunday. That same day, three Hurricane Hunter aircraft departed Saturday for Curacao where they staged operations and began flying into TS Beryl Sunday, which weakened into a tropical wave later that day.

The 53rd WRS, the only Department of Defense organization that flies weather reconnaissance, is expected to continue flying into Chris for the rest of the week sending weather data by satellite communication to the NHC to improve their computer models that forecast movement and intensity, said Col. Robert J. Stanton, 403rd Wing vice commander and navigator who flew into Chris Sunday.

“We collect data such as pressure, wind speed, wind direction, relative humidity and temperature, as well as other information, and provide it to the NHC to assist them with their forecast and storm warnings and advisories,” said Maj. Ryan Rickert, 53rd WRS aerial reconnaissance weather officer.

Weather forecasters rely on satellites for information; however, oceans can be data sparse environments and satellites can’t provide information such as the interior sea level pressure of a hurricane nor provide wind speed information, which is needed to predict hurricane development and movement, said Rickert.

According to NHC forecasts, Chris is expected to develop into a hurricane off the North Carolina coast today and begin moving northeast Tuesday. The Hurricane Hunters flew one mission into Beryl, which weakened into a tropical storm from a hurricane Saturday and degenerated into a tropical wave Sunday afternoon.

Providing information to the NHC has kept the squadron busy this week, and it’s not unusual for the Hurricane Hunters to fly multiple storms at the same time, said Stanton.

Their Area of Operation is large, extending from the middle of the Atlantic to just past the Hawaiian Islands, he said. And, through an interagency agreement, tropical weather reconnaissance is governed by the National Hurricane Operations Plan, which requires the squadron to support 24-hour a day continuous operations with the ability to fly up to three storms simultaneously and with a response time of 16 hours. Last year, the 10th busiest hurricane season on record, the squadron flew three hurricanes simultaneously which were Katia, Jose, and Irma.

Forecasters have projected this hurricane season to be an average one; however, whether it’s a busy or slow season, it only takes one storm with devastating impacts to a community to make it a bad one, so it’s important to be prepared said Lt. Col. Jon Fox, 53rd WRS navigator, who flew into Katrina in 2005 and experienced the aftermath of a devastating storm.

“When in doubt, evacuate; Make sure you stay safe because hindsight is 20/20,” he said, adding the unit collects weather data for forecasts and advisories to assist the public with their hurricane preparedness and evacuation plans to ensure their safety.

PAGO PAGO, American Samoa — The Coast Guard in American Samoa is continuing to investigate the loss of the commercial fishing vessel Jeanette Friday.

“The vessel poses minimal risk to residents and the environment,” said Lt. Al Blaisdell, supervisor, Marine Safety Detachment American Samoa. “Due to the depth of water, we understand there will be no salvage attempted. Any fuel remaining aboard if released will dissipate quickly. We are continuing with our investigation into the cause of the fire and the sinking.”

Personnel from the MSD began interviews with the crew Thursday. Additional members from Coast Guard Sector Honolulu arrived Thursday to assist. The team will also interview the firefighters, tugboat crew and others to determine the cause of the fire, sinking, and timeline of events.

The 228-foot tuna purse seiner caught fire at the commercial cargo pier in Pago Pago Wednesday. Smoke and fire were visible in the main cabin, and local firefighters battled the blaze which consumed nets, interior materials, and even the vessel’s embarked helicopter.

“As the fire continued to burn for several hours concerns were raised over the degrading structural integrity of the vessel under the intense heat, and the weight of the water applied to the fire coupled with the possible impact of the smoke on those nearby and the potential effects of the ship sinking at the pier. The joint decision, spearheaded by the Port Authority, was made to tow the vessel offshore and the port provided a tug to do so. The tug remained with the Jeanette offshore,” said Blaisdell.

The vessel was under tow by a Port Authority tug and still on fire when it began to list and sank Thursday at 10:39 a.m. about 17 nautical miles (19.5 statute miles) southwest of the main island in approximately 3,700 meters (12,140 feet) of water. The tug crew remained on scene to look for pollution and debris. Some small items from the deck drifted free. A small amount of fuel, likely on deck, surfaced and immediately dissipated.

The vessel has a potential fuel load of 90,000 gallons of diesel, 300 gallons of gasoline, as much as 12,000 pounds of ammonia and 1,333 metric tons of fish aboard. As the ship recently returned from fishing, it is unlikely the full fuel load was aboard. There are 22 crew members associated with the boat, but no one was aboard at the time of the fire, and no injuries reported.

Following consultation with NOAA’s scientific support team, shoreline impacts based on the available data are unlikely. Any diesel released may form a sheen that will dissipate and be moved to the west by currents and winds. In high winds, a sheen may not be visible at all. Responders are conducting shoreline assessments along the southern coast of Tutuila Island and a possible overflight of the location of the sinking by civilian helicopter.

“It’s unknown how much if any fuel remains aboard the Jeanette,” said Blaisdell. “If there is any sheening we anticipate it is unrecoverable and will break up quickly and evaporate. The vessel is not a threat to navigation or fishing grounds. Our focus now is understanding how this happened and work to prevent future occurrences. This incident is a major marine casualty, and we are conducting our investigation jointly with the National Transportation Safety Board.”

Through the investigation process, the Coast Guard and NTSB will gather information about the accident including interviews, vessel history, event timeline and much more to determine the cause of the fire and sinking. The Coast Guard’s primary goal is to prevent future incidents and protect the safety of mariners and the ports. The full investigation, to include the collection of data, analysis, summary report and approval of that report by Coast Guard Headquarters is expected to take several months at a minimum. The results will be available once reviewed and approved.

The story was published at Fishery Nation Dec. 8, 2018. It may be found at http://fisherynation.com/archives/76722. It may also be found at Fisher Forum, a fisheries site out of Denmark related to the diverse crews operating in American Samoa, published Dec. 10, 2018, found at http://www.fiskerforum.dk/en/news/b/investigation-launched-into-seiner-fire-and-loss. It was also published in NOAA’s Incident News.

HONOLULU — The Coast Guard assisted National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration members in disentangling a humpback whale off Maui, Wednesday.

The sub-adult mammal was freed of an estimated 500 feet of heavy gauge line by a team of trained responders off of Mākena Beach South Maui.

Representatives with the Coast Guard, Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary and NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service learned the entangled animal had the line through its mouth forming a bridle.

“The team made several cuts, removing almost all the line, and greatly increased the animal’s chances of survival,” said Ed Lyman, Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary. “However, a small amount of gear could not be pulled from the whale’s mouth and thus remains. The recovered gear will be analyzed towards determining its possible origins and trying to reduce entanglement threat in the future.”

The report of the entanglement came in at around 9:10 a.m. from a Maui Dive Shop vessel and Coast Guard station Maui launched a 45-foot Response Boat-Medium.

By 10:40 a.m., the Coast Guard crew arrived on the scene, assessed the animal and entanglement, and deployed a working line with a tracking beacon attached.

The sanctuary’s response vessel, Koholā, followed with the rest of the team and gear. In the interim, many vessels, including the Makakoa, Redline, Maui Magic, Bluewater Rafting, fishing vessel Piper, Maui Diamond II, and PacWhale Eco Adventure vessel Ocean Explorer, assisted by monitoring the animal and relaying information while the response team was en route.

The sanctuary’s response vessel Koholā arrived soon after with the rest of the team and launched an inflatable boat.

“A team of responders in the inflatable approached the whale, grabbed the working line, and pulled themselves up behind the animal. At this point, one line of the bridle was cut and untwisted, but the line was too deeply embedded in the mouth to pull free,” said Lyman.

At 12:30 p.m., with seas building, another approach was made within feet of the whale’s tail, to cut the other side of the bridle as far forward as possible.

“The pair of cuts removed as much line as possible, along with all the trailing buoys. Only a small amount of gear in the whale’s mouth and trailing along its sides were left providing the animal with an excellent chance of surviving,” said Lyman. “This was a successful operation that involved the efforts of many – a team effort. Mahalo to all.”

In a joint statement, experts advise mariners to keep a sharp lookout for whales in distress but recommend not to approach closely or attempt to assist them. Only trained and well-equipped responders are authorized under NOAA Fisheries’ Marine Mammal Health and Stranding Response Program are permitted to help whales and other marine mammals for the animal’s protection and the safety of the responders.

If any marine mammal is sighted in distress, the public is asked to maintain a 100-yard distance and call the NOAA 24-hour Hotline at 1-888 256-9840. If unable to call, radio the U.S. Coast Guard on VHF Ch.16 and the report will be relayed.

The public is reminded it is illegal to approach a humpback whale closer than 100 yards by any means at sea and 1,000 feet by aircraft.

PAGO PAGO, American Samoa — As part of a larger preparedness initiative, the Coast Guard and partners conducted a three-day workshop in American Samoa focused on the long line tuna fishing fleet the first week in April.

This event was a collaborative effort between federal and local authorities with the support of the industry. Spearheaded by the U.S. Coast Marine Safety Detachment with Port Administration, the DPS Police Commissioner, Marine Police, Fire Department, NOAA Fisheries, NOAA Office of Law Enforcement, DMWR Enforcement and the services of Mr. Raymond Medeiros, captain of the U.S, purse seiner Friesland came together to facilitate the event for the fleet.

“Given the increased demand on America’s waterways and the Pacific, we must take a collaborative approach to vital issues like safety and compliance for an industry vital to the economy in American Samoa. The Coast Guard has a small footprint here, but through strong linkages and partnerships we can facilitate, safeguard, and advance maritime commerce while ensuring the safety of our local fleet,” said Frank Thomsen, assistant supervisor, U.S. Coast Guard Marine Safety Detachment American Samoa.

Thomsen, along with Charlie Medlicott, the U.S. Coast Guard 14th District fishing vessel safety coordinator, focused the workshop on vessel navigation, firefighting, lifesaving, stability, communications, casualty reporting, pollution, and environmental protection and prevention. Following classroom portions, the group conducted drills in firefighting, man overboard, flooding, abandon ship, flare deployment and life embarkation from the water. The effort was in planning for several months coordinating with the fleet to determine when most of the 17 to 20 vessel fleet would be in port to take part. More than 30 fishers participated.

Pago Pago is home to a natural protected deepwater harbor providing one of the best natural shelters anywhere in the Pacific and has excellent maritime facilities and other infrastructure needed to support offshore fishing. While there is a U.S. Coast Guard presence, the marine safety detachment focuses on regulatory enforcement and vessel issues and does not possess the capabilities for water-based rescue or assistance. Any assistance must come from vessels or aircraft in the area at the time of an incident, or from further away — Hawaii and Guam.

“Our vessels go fishing hundreds of miles away from critical and lifesaving services, so in essence, they are their fire department, hospital and damage control,” said Thomsen. “The Pacific is vast, and there are relatively few response options if one of these crews runs into trouble. It’s critical they be proficient mariners, able to respond and in the event of a significant casualty or loss of a vessel, be able to sustain themselves until help can arrive.”

According to NOAA, the role of fishing as a central and organizing force for communities in American Samoa has undergone dramatic changes over the past 50 years or more. The islands’ population has more than tripled over that period, with a steady shift from a largely subsistence-oriented economy to a cash-based economy. Modern fishing took hold initially in the 1970s with subsidies and credit options for vessel purchase. That developed over time and in the early 2000s, bigger, monohulled longline vessels entered the fishery, resulting in greatly increased landings—over 15 million pounds in 2002, compared to under 2 million pounds in 2000. The tuna canneries based in American Samoa are another critical aspect of American Samoa as a fishing community. Begun in 1954 they grew and StarKist Samoa, the largest tuna cannery in the world, produces more than 60 percent of American Samoa’s canned tuna, while Chicken of the Sea produces the remaining 40 percent.

“We are somewhat isolated, but the community in American Samoa is resilient and contributes significantly to the Pacific economy. This workshop enables our fleet’s fishers to continue their work safely and further our positive relationships to see this region succeed,” said Thomsen.