The U.S. and Canadian coast guards reaffirmed their commitment to enforcement in the Arctic Ocean on June 7-8 when Rear Admiral Nathan Moore, commander of the U.S. Coast Guard 17th District, and Neil O’Rourke, assistant commissioner of the Canadian Coast Guard Arctic Region convened in Yellowknife and Hay River, Northwest Territories, Canada.
The leaders and their staffs discussed partnering on matters related to the Canada-U.S. trans-boundary waters of the Beaufort Sea part of the Arctic Ocean, including coordinating search and rescue missions, managing waterways and responding to marine environmental issues.
“The two regional leaders signed the newly revised Beaufort Sea Annex to the national Canada-United States Joint Marine Pollution Contingency Plan, toured the Canadian Coast Guard Hay River Base, discussed Arctic maritime risks and response methods, and established a framework for continued bi-national cooperation in the increasingly important Arctic Region,” the USCG said in a statement.
Since 1983, the CAN-US Joint Marine Pollution Contingency Plan has encompassed five geographic annexes considered areas of responsibility for the regional Coast Guard offices.
