United States Coast Guard

Performance Report

February 2010

Fiscal Year 2009

The Commandant of the United States Coast Guard

Washington, D.C.

THAD W. ALLEN

Admiral, U.S. Coast Guard

I am pleased to present the United States Coast Guard’s Fiscal Year 2009 Performance Report. 

The report offers a high-level summary of performance results within our eleven statutorily mandated 

missions and highlights some of the extraordinary accomplishments of our men and women over the 

past year. It is meant to complement the U.S. Coast Guard Posture Statement and 2011 Budget in 

Brief, which provide my strategic assessment of factors influencing Coast Guard operations, partnerships, and performance, as well as critical priorities for FY 2011. 

The Performance Report, on the other hand, is an opportunity for the Coast Guard to look back and assess the past fiscal year, 

and then communicate our outstanding performance and service record to a wide variety of audiences and stakeholders within 

and outside government. It is meant to give you a better understanding of the tremendous value the Coast Guard provides to the 

Department of Homeland Security and the Nation, as well as the challenges we face in reducing risk and protecting U.S. interests 

in the maritime domain. 

The Coast Guard serves as America’s Maritime Guardian—Always Ready for all hazards and all threats. Since 1790, the Coast 

Guard has safeguarded our Nation’s maritime interests in the heartland, in the ports, at sea, and around the globe. We protect the 

maritime economy and the environment, we defend our maritime borders, and we save those in peril. Maritime safety, security, and 

stewardship are enduring roles the Coast Guard has accrued over two centuries of service. These roles reflect long-standing responsibilities which are traditionally governmental, have an essential Federal component, and are interrelated such that they can be 

best accomplished by a single military, multi-mission, maritime force. While this report primarily highlights performance in each of 

our eleven missions, we ultimately achieve success by leveraging our multi-mission authorities, diverse capabilities, and established 

partnerships at home and abroad to protect vital U.S. economic and security interests throughout the maritime environment and to 

position the Coast Guard to meet tomorrow’s challenges. 

This past year was another remarkable year for the Coast Guard. Coast Guard men and women—active duty, reserve, civilian, and 

Auxiliarists alike—continued to deliver premier service to the American public. We saved over 4,000 lives, rescued hundreds of 

residents during the Red River flood, removed over 350,000 pounds of cocaine headed to the United States, and interdicted nearly 

3,500 migrants on the high seas. We broadened our relationships and increased cooperation with our domestic and international 

maritime partners, highlighted by two out of hemisphere cutter deployments in support of the Department of Defense. We commenced a High Latitude Study to help determine our future operational requirements in the Arctic due to the expanding access and 

level of activity in the region. We continued to deploy assets in support of Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom. 

As an organization, we continued efforts towards modernizing our organizational structure and business practices. In June, we 

established our Force Readiness Command, which will focus primarily on providing properly trained, maintained, and ready operational forces for allocation to the supported commander. Our recapitalization effort to replace our aging operating assets is already 

paying dividends, in fact, our first National Security Cutter, Coast Guard Cutter BERTHOLF, disrupted a multi-vessel drug transfer in the eastern Pacific while on its first operational patrol in July 2009. Our newest aircraft, the Ocean Sentry HC-144, completed its operational testing and evaluation period and is now standing the watch in the Gulf of Mexico, providing a more capable asset 

than the aircraft it is replacing. Our first Fast Response Cutter SENTINEL will be delivered in early 2011. These achievements 

and milestones make this an exciting time to serve in the United States Coast Guard.

I am extremely proud of the Coast Guard men and woman who delivered another exceptional year of service to the maritime community. While we acknowledge and recognize their accomplishments from last year, we must not dwell on them. I assure you that 

our men and women will ensure the Coast Guard is always here to protect, and ready to rescue in 2010 and beyond. I would also 

like to invite you to visit my website, www.uscg.mil/comdt, to learn more about our unique Service and our ongoing commitment to 

ensure America’s maritime safety, security, and stewardship.
COAST GUARD TARGET SETTING PROCESS

Each March, the Coast Guard completes a year-long process of performance assessment, improvement planning, 

and target setting to coincide with our annual budget submission to the Department of Homeland Security.

To establish meaningful expectations for future performance, we set ambitious, yet realistic, out-year targets 

built from reliable baselines. In developing such expectations, we do not presume every target will be attained 

each year.

The baseline is the reference point from which expectations of change are determined. In a stable environment, 

where results are expected to deviate within normal limits of variation, the baseline is typically just a forward 

projection of the past several years’ average. In a period of dynamic change, the baseline is more appropriately 

determined from some trendline—with due care given to both the type of trendline and its expected duration.

Except for targets that reflect performance standards established with specific stakeholders, we annually refine 

our targets by:

• Determining the anticipated out-year benefits of Coast Guard performance initiatives 

(e.g. new technology);

• Identifying the expected benefits of Coast Guard continuous improvement efforts 

(e.g. better intelligence and processes);

• Ascertaining the impact of constraints on our capabilities due to staffing, training, equipment, 

infrastructure, information, or operating budget limitations; and

• Assessing the impact of external drivers and trends such as an overall increase or decrease in 

economic activity.
SUMMARY OF UNITED STATES COAST GUARD PERFORMANCE IN FY 2009

Search and Rescue

FY 2009 

Target1

FY 2009 

Results

FY 2010 

Target

Percent of People in Imminent Danger Saved in the Maritime Environment 76.0% 77.3% 76.0%

 Marine Safety

5-Yr Avg Commercial Mariner Deaths and Injuries ≤ 529 475 ≤ 520

 2009 Commercial Mariner Deaths and Injuries 496 369 486

5-Yr Avg Commercial Passenger Deaths and Injuries ≤ 251 228 ≤ 248

 2009 Commercial Passenger Deaths and Injuries 236 149 200

5-Yr Avg Recreational Boating Deaths and Injuries ≤ 4248 4038 ≤ 4184

 2009 Recreational Boating Deaths and Injuries 4184 3534 4184

 Illegal Drug Interdiction

Removal Rate for Cocaine from Non-commercial Vessels 

in Maritime Transit Zone 15.7% 15% 18.5% 

 Migrant Interdiction

Percent of Undocumented Migrants who Attempt to Enter the U.S. 

Via Maritime Routes that Are Interdicted 69.9% 84.4% 73.9%

 Ports, Waterways, & Coastal Security

Percent Reduction in Maritime Terrorism Risk Over which USCG Has Influence 21% 31% 19%

 Defense Readiness

Percent of Time USCG Assets Included in Combatant Commander Operational 

Plans Are Ready at a SORTS Readiness Reporting System Rating of 2 or Better 100% 44% Retired2

 Marine Environmental Protection

5-Yr Avg Chemical Discharge Incidents Per 100 Million Short Tons Shipped 25.9 17.8 22.8

 2009 Number of Chemical Discharge Incidents 50 22 44

5-Yr Avg Oil Spills >100 Gallons Per 100 Million Short Tons Shipped 13.0 11.8 12.1

 2009 Number of Oil Spills >100 Gallons 150 98 150

 Living Marine Resources

Percent of USCG Boardings at Sea in which No Significant Violations 

Are Detected When Domestic Fisheries Regulations Apply 97% 96.7% 97%

 Other Law Enforcement

Number of Incursions into U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone ≤ 195 112 ≤ 190

 Aids to Navigation

5-Yr Avg Collisions, Allisions, and Groundings ≤1871 1878 ≤1858

 2009 Collisions 212 188 212

 2009 Allisions 739 635 739

 2009 Groundings 885 814 885

Federal Short-Range Aids to Navigation Availability 97.5% 98% 97.5%

 Ice Operations

Number of Days Critical Waterways Are Closed Due to Ice 2 (avg)

8 (severe)

0 Closure 

Days

2 (avg)

8 (severe)

1

 See ‘Coast Guard Target Setting Process’ on opposite page.

2

 The Defense Readiness performance measures reported in FY 2009 will be retired in FY 2010. These measures are being replaced with similar SORTS based readiness measures that 

employ different methodology to better reflect readiness of all the Port Security Units and the entire fleet of patrol boats and High Endurance Cutters.

Table of Contents

Letter from the Commandant..................................................................................................................3

Coast Guard Target Setting Process .....................................................................................................4

Table – Summary of United States Coast Guard Performance in FY 2009 ........................................5

Summary of Fiscal Year 2009 Coast Guard Performance..............9

Background .....................................................................................................................................9

Fiscal Year 2009 Performance Highlights .....................................................................................9

THE VALUE OF A MILITARY, MULTI-MISSION, MARITIME SERVICe ...............10

Broad Authorities and an Expansive Network of Partnerships ...............................................10

Flexible, Adaptable Operational Capability and Presence .......................................................12

Access and Relevant Expertise within the International Community.....................................13

COAST GUARD MISSIONs.......................................................................................................15

Search and Rescue ..........................................................................................................................15

Maritime Safety.................................................................................................................................17

Illegal Drug Interdiction ................................................................................................................21

Undocumented Migrant Interdiction ...........................................................................................23 

Ports, Waterways, and Coastal Security .....................................................................................25

Defense Readiness ......................................................................................................................28

Marine Environmental Protection ...............................................................................................31

Living Marine Resources (LMR) Law Enforcement ...................................................................34

Other Law Enforcement (OLE).....................................................................................................36

Aids to Navigation.........................................................................................................................38

Ice Operations ..............................................................................................................................40
SAN DIEGO – Crewmembers of the Coast Guard Cutter ASPEN prepare to offload 207 bales of marijuana to a pier in San Diego 

on March 22, 2009. The ASPEN’s crew, a C-130 crew from Air Station Sacramento and Maritime Safety and Security Team Galveston 

members worked with the Mexican Navy to seize over eight tons of marijuana and detain four smuggling suspects.
FY 2009 U.S. Coast Guard Performance Report • 9

Summary of Fiscal Year 2009 Coast Guard Performance

SUMMARY OF FISCAL YEAR 2009 COAST GUARD PERFORMANCE

Background

The United States Coast Guard Performance Report for Fiscal Year (FY) 2009 presents a summary of Coast 

Guard performance as measured through the Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA) process and other 

significant achievements last year. The performance measures in this report include primary outcome measures for 

the eleven statutory missions assigned to the Coast Guard by Congress. These measures help show how the Coast 

Guard has applied available resources to provide the greatest value to the American people. 

Fiscal Year 2009 Performance Highlights

In 2009, over 42,000 active duty members, over 8,200 reservists, nearly 8,000 civilian employees, and approximately 

31,000 volunteer Auxiliarists:

• Responded to over 23,500 Search and Rescue cases and saved over 4,700 lives.

• Nearly matched last year’s record by removing over 350,000 pounds of cocaine bound toward 

the United States via the Transit Zone.

• Continued the deployment of six Patrol Boats and 400 personnel to protect Iraqi critical maritime oil 

infrastructure and train Iraqi naval forces.

• Provided security for over 200 military outload evolutions, which provided supplies to support Operation Iraqi 

Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom.

• Conducted over 1,800 security boardings on High Interest Vessels bound for the United States.

• Interdicted nearly 3,700 undocumented migrants attempting to illegally enter the United States.

• Conducted over 14,000 inspections on U.S. flagged certificated vessels.

• Conducted nearly 11,000 Port State Control safety and environmental exams on foreign vessels entering 

U.S. ports.

• Conducted over 5,400 fisheries conservation boardings.

• Issued over 14,000 public notifications of bridge activities impacting safety of navigation.

• Investigated and responded to almost 3,600 pollution incidents.

• Screened over 248,000 commercial vessels and 62 million crew and passengers for terrorist and criminal 

associations prior to arrival in U.S. ports, identifying nearly 400 individuals with terrorism associations.
10 • FY 2009 U.S. Coast Guard Performance Report 

Summary of Fiscal Year 2009 Coast Guard Performance

The Value of a Military, Multi-Mission, Maritime Service

Over the course of the last 219 years, single-purpose agencies such as the Revenue Cutter Service, Lifesaving 

Service, Lighthouse Service, Steamboat Inspection Service, and the Bureau of Navigation were integrated to create 

a single military, multi-mission, maritime service that is today’s Coast Guard. Every day, the Coast Guard saves 

the lives of those in distress. It secures the Nation’s vast maritime border while ensuring the safe and efficient 

transportation of people and goods. It protects the marine environment and guards natural resources. It defends the 

Nation at home and abroad alongside the other Armed Services. As a military, multi-mission, maritime force, the 

Coast Guard offers a unique, highly cost-effective blend of military, law enforcement, humanitarian, regulatory, and 

diplomatic capabilities. These capabilities align to three broad roles: maritime safety, maritime security, and 

maritime stewardship. 

Each Coast Guard role is composed of several missions. However, most Coast Guard missions support more than one 

role. For example, the aids to navigation mission primarily supports the maritime stewardship role by preventing 

pollution from vessel groundings and collisions, while facilitating the movement of people and goods. But this mission 

also supports the maritime safety role by preventing accidents, injuries, and deaths and enhances consequence management by building a more resilient Marine Transportation System. These interwoven roles and complementary 

missions call for Coast Guard personnel and resources that are similarly multi-mission capable. This intrinsic characteristic brings to bear greater effectiveness, insight, and agility in any situation. The Service’s enduring dedication 

to maritime safety, security, and stewardship gives it key strengths for meeting tomorrow’s challenges:

• Broad authorities and an expansive network of partnerships;

• Flexible, adaptable operational capacity and presence; and

• Access and relevant expertise within the international community.

Broad Authorities and an Expansive Network of Partnerships

The Coast Guard’s ability to conduct distinct but interrelated maritime functions—law enforcement, national 

defense, environmental protection, transportation, safety, and humanitarian response—defines its unique multimission character 

and value. The Coast 

Guard is a member of 

the U.S. Armed Forces, 

a law-enforcement and 

regulatory authority, 

a member of the U.S. 

Intelligence Community, and a collaborative 

partner with Federal, 

state, tribal, and 

local agencies. These 

interactions generate 

beneficial relationships 

and networks that 

encompass all facets 

of maritime activities, 

at home and overseas. 

The Coast Guard has 

broad jurisdictional 

authorities to combat 

nearly every maritime 

threat, hazard, or chal-
FY 2009 U.S. Coast Guard Performance Report • 11

Summary of Fiscal Year 2009 Coast Guard Performance

lenge to the Nation and works extensively with public and private partners to coordinate planning for and response 

to maritime emergencies. 

For example, Coast Guard Captains of the Port throughout the country leverage partnerships with Federal, 

state, local, tribal, and industry partners in forums such as Area Maritime Security Committees, Harbor Safety 

Committees, and Area Committees. In FY 2009, the Coast Guard participated in over 80 Harbor Safety Committee 

meetings to coordinate with stakeholders in over 360 of the Nation’s ports—these groups address safety, security, 

mobility, and environmental issues within their local ports and waterways.

The Coast Guard’s intelligence services provide another prime example of how the Coast Guard uses its authorities 

and partnerships to provide daily value to the Nation. The Coast Guard’s unique access and expertise within the 

maritime domain and position within the Intelligence Community enable timely, actionable, and relevant intelligence 

and criminal investigation expertise to drive Coast Guard operations, planning, and decision making. This 

enhances global Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA); increases information sharing, intelligence collaboration, and 

coordination; reduces operational risk; and provides all-source sensing, analysis, and warning of maritime threats. 

In FY 2009, Coast Guard intelligence: 

• Significantly improved the efficiency of Coast Guard operational assets engaged in illegal drug and 

undocumented migrant interdiction efforts by providing timely and actionable intelligence.

• Improved operational support through initiative-based fusion and analysis of threat intelligence related to 

cyber security, the Arctic, human smuggling and tracking, alien migration, foreign port threat assessments, 

pandemics, and illicit drugs. 

• Enhanced interagency collaboration and analytical exchange with national intelligence, defense, and 

law enforcement communities by improving intelligence and information data management and analysis 

capabilities. These initiatives include collaborative technical solutions which enable improved data transfer and 

fusion efforts. 

Expansive Network of Partners: Rear Admiral James A.Watson, Director of the Prevention Policy Directorate addressed a joint 

meeting with U.S. ship operators, U.S. maritime labor union leaders, and government and Department of Defense representatives in 

Washington D.C. on June 9, 2009. The discussion elicited feedback regarding implementation of anti-piracy measures required for U.S. 

vessels by the May 11 MARSEC directive 104-6, and provided information about the recently concluded deliberations at the International 

Maritime Organization, Maritime Safety Committee meeting in London regarding anti-piracy efforts. 
12 • FY 2009 U.S. Coast Guard Performance Report 

Summary of Fiscal Year 2009 Coast Guard Performance

Flexible, Adaptable Operational Capability and Presence

The Coast Guard provides agile, adaptable, and ready operational capabilities to serve the Nation’s maritime 

interests. Throughout the maritime domain, the Coast Guard provides a recognized maritime presence in 

carrying out its safety, security, and stewardship roles. It is also the only Department of Homeland Security (DHS) 

organization and Armed Service that can operate assets for both law enforcement and military purposes within 

and beyond U.S. territorial limits. This presence, supported by a military command, control, and communications 

network, gives the Coast Guard prevention and response capabilities for all threats. The Coast Guard can augment 

forces from the local level to a national or international level of involvement, regardless of the contingency.

In FY 2009, through its operational 

capabilities and presence, as well as 

planning and preparedness efforts, 

the Coast Guard:

• Responded to myriad incidents: 

H1N1 pandemic influenza, 

US AIRWAYS 1549 crash into 

Hudson Bay, Red River flooding, 

the American Samoa tsunami, 

and Typhoon MELOR. For each 

incident, Coast Guard field units, 

alongside Federal, state and local 

partners, responded for quick, 

immediate results. 

• Utilized the Coast Guard Marine 

Security Response Team (MSRT) 

and Marine Safety and Security 

Teams (MSST) to provide direct 

support to the U.S. Secret 

Service for Presidential protection 

during National Special Security 

Events, including the Presidential 

Inauguration, G-20 Conference in 

Pittsburgh, and the opening session of 

the United Nations General Assembly. 

• Updated Pre-Scripted Mission 

Assignments with FEMA to ensure 

Coast Guard catastrophic incident 

capabilities, resources, and services 

are quickly and efficiently delivered 

in advance of or during a disaster 

response.

• Administered a prototype Preparedness Assessment Visit (PAV), which determined Sector Buffalo’s capability 

(stakeholder collaboration and training/skill level) for a response to a natural or manmade disaster. The PAV 

supports Coast Guard’s connectivity to the National Response Framework, the Federal government’s way to 

manage incidents that range from the serious, but purely local, to large-scale terrorist attacks or catastrophic 

natural disasters.

• Participated in the planning and conduct of National Level Exercise 2009, the first national prevention and 

protection exercise focused on detecting, indentifying, and interdicting terrorists intent on exploiting the 

air, border, and maritime transportation systems. The exercise concentrated on the sharing of intelligence 

and information between and across all levels of government and promoted senior-level decisions regarding 

The first National Security Cutter, Coast Guard Cutter BERTHOLF disrupted a multi-vessel drug transfer in the eastern Pacific while on its 

first operational patrol in July 2009. While operating as part of the Joint 

Interagency Task Force- South (JIATF-S), BERTHOLF, with maritime patrol 

aircraft support, intercepted two go-fast vessels. BERTHOLF deployed 

an Airborne Use of Force (AUF) capable Coast Guard helicopter and 

both of its small boats simultaneously to effect a successful interdiction. 

The case resulted in removal of more than two metric tons of cocaine 

bound for the United States. BERTHOLF’s improved onboard Command, 

Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance, and 

Reconnaissance (C4ISR) technological capabilities played a key role in a 

successful “end game.”
FY 2009 U.S. Coast Guard Performance Report • 13

Summary of Fiscal Year 2009 Coast Guard Performance

protection of various infrastructure sectors and the messaging of information through assorted alert and 

notification systems.

• Maintained an active contingency exercise program, working with Federal, state, and local partners, as well 

as the private sector, to enhance the Nation’s ability to prevent, respond to, and recover from man-made and 

natural disasters.

• Worked closely with FEMA’s Emergency Management Institute to certify 50 Coast Guard personnel as Master 

Exercise Practitioners, ultimately enhancing Coast Guard preparedness for and response to “All Threats, All 

Hazards.”

• Continued recapitalization efforts to replace aging cutters, aircraft, boats, and equipment with more capable 

assets. Coast Guard Cutter BERTHOLF completed its acceptance trials and is now conducting operational 

patrols. The second National Security Cutter, WAESCHE, completed its acceptance trials in September 2009. 

The HC-144 maritime patrol aircraft completed its testing and evaluation and is now standing the watch in the 

Gulf of Mexico. Missionization of the Coast Guard C-130J airframe is nearing completion. The Coast Guard 

awarded a contract for its new patrol boat, the Fast Response Cutter, with an expected delivery date in 

early 2011. 

Access and Relevant Expertise within the International Community

The Coast Guard has 

the same responsibilities 

as many of the world’s 

other national maritime 

authorities and navies. 

This makes it a unique 

and pivotal instrument for 

international engagement 

by the U.S. Government. 

In an age of transnational 

threats and global supply 

chains, a layered security 

approach including international cooperation and 

coordination is essential. 

The Coast Guard leads 

U.S. delegations at the 

International Maritime 

Organization (IMO) 

and other international 

bodies that set global 

maritime standards, global security operations, and 

international training efforts. The Coast Guard is a 

national leader in planning and preparedness and 

will continue to work around the globe to create a 

more effective international maritime community.

In FY 2009, Coast Guard Cutter BOUTWELL achieved Department of Defense and Coast Guard strategic goals 

during a six month deployment by conducting cooperative familiarization engagements and professional exchanges 

with foreign coast guards and navies around the world. To strengthen the maritime partnership between the United 

States and Libya, BOUTWELL docked in Tubruq—the first U.S. military port call to Libya in over 40 years--where 

the crew conducted various exchanges with Libyan maritime law enforcement personnel. Earlier in this deployment, 

BOUTWELL also contributed to the larger U.S. effort to combat piracy off the Horn of Africa, participating in law 

enforcement operations in that region. 

Crewmembers aboard Coast Guard Cutter BOUTWELL provide 

damage control and search and rescue overview and familiarization 

for Libyan forces while in port at Tubruq, Libya on June 1, 2009. 

During a portion of an around-the-world deployment, the Coast 

Guard Cutter BOUTWELL was part of the USS BOXERExpeditionary 

Strike Group.
14 • FY 2009 U.S. Coast Guard Performance Report 

Summary of Fiscal Year 2009 Coast Guard Performance

Other significant international engagement highlights in FY 2009 include: 

• Senior Coast Guard officials travelled to China, India, Vietnam, Greece, Djibouti, Bahrain, Kuwait, Ireland, 

and New Zealand to increase international cooperation and address concerns relating to global maritime 

safety, security, and stewardship. The Coast Guard also assigned maritime advisors to Albania, Georgia and 

Liberia to help rebuild or re-establish their Coast Guards through the Export Control and the Related Border 

Security Program (EXBS) and Foreign Military Financing (FMF) programs.

• Participated in the North Pacific Coast Guard Forum with counterparts from Canada, China, Japan, Russia, 

and South Korea to improve regional maritime security, environmental protection, and maritime safety. 

• Supported the Colombia International Maritime Center Against Narcotrafficking (CIMCON) by providing two 

teams for an overview of Search and Rescue and Maritime Law Enforcement Boarding procedures during an 

eight week junior officer course. CIMCON hosted participants from 16 Latin American countries. 

• Expanded strategic partnerships with Mexico and Malta to improve search and rescue cooperation and 

coordination. 

• Conducted the first ever Joint Advanced Boarding Officer Course with Argentinean instructors for six nations 

in South America in support of the Argentina Boarding Officer Academy. 

In this photo, the Coast Guard Cutter LEGARE pulls alongside the Sierra Leone Naval Vessel Maritime Wing PB-105 in the waters of 

Sierra Leone, August 23, 2009. The LEGARE served as the Africa Partnership Station (APS) platform for the U.S. Navy 6th Fleet to 

improve maritime security and safety along the west coast of Africa. Combined operations with the nations of Sierra Leone, Morocco, 

Cape Verde, and Senegal focused on fisheries regulations enforcement, illicit drug trafficking, illegal immigration, search and rescue, 

and environmental protection.
FY 2009 U.S. Coast Guard Performance Report • 15

Coast Guard Missions: Search and Rescue

COAST GUARD MISSIONS

Search and Rescue

The international community continues to 

recognize the United States Coast Guard as a 

leader in the field of search and rescue (SAR). 

As one of the Coast Guard’s core missions, SAR’s 

primary focus is to render aid and minimize 

loss of life, injury, and property damage. Coast 

Guard SAR responses involve multi-mission shore 

stations, cutters, aircraft, and boats linked by an 

extensive command and control network. As the 

Nation’s maritime SAR coordinator, the Coast 

Guard maintains SAR capabilities on the East, 

West and Gulf coasts; in Alaska, Hawaii, Guam, 

and Puerto Rico; and on the Great Lakes and 

inland U.S. waterways. 

FY 2009 Performance Highlights 

• Saved 4,747 lives and responded to 23,555 

incidents. 

• Saved nearly $95M in property. 

• Enhanced the ability to detect and locate 

persons in distress through technology 

improvements such as Rescue 21 (installed 

in six major coastal areas in FY 2009) 

which now covers 22 major coastal areas 

encompassing over 29,000 miles of the 

Nation’s coastline. 

• Took delivery of ten additional (now 13 out 

of 180 in service) multi-mission capable 

Response Boat-Medium (RB-M) vessels. The 

RB-M will replace the 41-foot Utility Boat, 

which has reached the end of its service life.

• Participated in the North Atlantic Coast Guard 

Forum by attending the Experts and Summit 

meetings with counterparts from 22 countries. 

A Joint Search and Rescue exercise, involving 

SAR and oil pollution, took place with the U.S., 

Norwegian, and Icelandic Coast Guards. 

FY 2009 Performance Results 

The Coast Guard saved 77.3% of people in imminent danger in FY 2009. This result was 1.3% above the target of 

76% and an increase from the previous year’s new measure baseline data of 76.8%. In total, the number of lives 

saved decreased from 4,916 in FY 2008 to 4,747 in FY 2009. The number of lives lost or unaccounted for increased 

from 1,260 in FY 2008 to 1,511 in FY 2009. The number of cases declined from 24,229 in FY 2008 to 23,555 cases in 

FY 2009. The drop in cases occurred in the first half of FY 2009. The final two quarters of FY 2009 actually showed 

an increase in cases over the previous year.

Petty Officer 1st Class Matt High from Coast Guard Air Station 

Traverse City observes the damage left in the wake of the Red 

River floods while conducting an over-flight of the area in an 

HH-65 Dolphin helicopter. During the over-flight, the helicopter 

crew searched for people in distress and was available to 

respond immediately in case of an emergency. Helicopter crews 

from New Orleans, Detroit, and Houston also responded.
16 • FY 2009 U.S. Coast Guard Performance Report 

Search and Rescue

When cases involving 11 or more lives at risk are excluded, trends in the number of lives saved and the number of 

lives lost or unaccounted for mirror the trend in cases. In the cases involving 10 or fewer lives, the number of lives 

saved dropped from 4,195 in FY 2008 to 4,042 in FY 2009, while the number of lives lost or unaccounted for dropped 

from 1,255 in FY 2008 to 1,181 in FY 2009. Excluded from this analysis were 1,035 lives (saved, lost or unaccounted 

for) in 27 incidents with 11 or more lives at risk. 

Percent of People in Imminent Danger Saved in the Maritime Environment

Note: The Coast Guard instituted a new primary measure in FY 2009 to expand the accounting for lives in 

imminent danger to include the “Lives Unaccounted For.” “Lives Unaccounted For” refers to persons still missing 

when Search and Rescue operations cease. The Coast Guard measures SAR performance as the number of lives 

saved divided by the number of lives in distress. “Lives in distress” refers to persons in peril as a result of an 

extraordinary event beyond the inherent danger of the maritime environment. The Coast Guard tracks the number 

of lives saved, lives lost both before and after the Coast Guard is notified, and lives unaccounted for, and then 

excludes cases involving 11 or more persons (less than 2% of all cases). Excluding these cases yields more useful data 

related to the vast majority of SAR effort. 

An injured merchant sailor from Liberian cargo ship MARIE RICKMERS is carried across the flight deck of the 

USS ABRAHAM LINCOLN (CVN 72) to an MH-65C Dolphin. The sailor was medevaced to LINCOLN the previous 

night by a San Diego Coast Guard helicopter and stabilized before being flown to San Francisco for treatment.
FY 2009 U.S. Coast Guard Performance Report • 17

Marine Safety

Marine Safety

The Coast Guard Marine Safety mission ensures the safety 

of tens of thousands of U.S. and foreign mariners, millions of 

passengers on ferries and other vessels, and tens of millions of 

recreational boaters. By preventing marine casualties, the Coast 

Guard further protects the marine environment from oil spills 

and the introduction of other harmful substances, and strengthens the economy by minimizing property loss and disruptions 

to maritime commerce. The Coast Guard is the primary agency 

responsible for developing and enforcing Federal marine safety 

regulations, certifying and licensing over 200,000 mariners, 

promoting safe practices by investigating commercial marine 

casualties and sharing its findings, and conducting compulsory, 

as well as voluntary safety exams and inspections. The Marine 

Safety mission is also responsible for ensuring the safe and 

environmentally sound operation of millions of recreational 

vessels and U.S. flagged commercial vessels wherever they are 

in the world, as well as exercising Port State control for foreign 

vessels operating in U.S. waters. The Coast Guard accomplishes 

this through a multi-faceted approach to include standards development, mariner credentialing, compliance 

enforcement, investigations and casualty analysis, industry and public outreach, and international engagement.

FY 2009 Performance Highlights 

• Issued nearly 1,700 Certificates of Inspection to U.S. commercial vessels.

• Conducted over 14,000 inspections on U.S. flagged certificated vessels (excludes fishing and towing vessels).

• Conducted 6,900 dockside safety exams on commercial fishing vessels.

• Conducted nearly 4,500 marine casualty investigations, including two Marine Boards of Investigation.

• Issued 73,168 credentials to qualified merchant mariners ensuring the safe, secure, and efficient navigation 

of ships.

• Established five Centers of Expertise to improve competency in vintage vessels, towing vessels, liquefied gas 

vessels, outer continental shelf, and Investigating Officer expertise.

• Countered piracy off the coast of Somalia through implementation of MARSEC Directive applicable to 147 

U.S. vessels that regularly transit the high risk area. Published seven Port Security Advisories and held three 

agency/industry roundtable meetings to assist the fleet with compliance.

• Developed and implementing a Towing Vessel Bridging Program to transition over 5,000 towing vessels to an 

inspected regime in the next few years. Since summer kick-off, 49 towing vessel examiners have been qualified 

and 145 industry-initiated exams have been conducted.

• Issued over $124M in grants to states and $6M to non-profit organizations through the Coast Guard’s National 

Recreational Boating Safety Program, which uses a partnering approach to coordinate Federal efforts with the 

states and hundreds of other organizations. 

• As a result of the National Recreational Boating Safety Program, state law enforcement conducted over 

1,676,736 recreational vessel boardings, issued over 125,000 citations and nearly 300,000 warnings, responded 

to over 10,000 search and rescue cases, and assisted over 43,600 persons and 18,600 vessels.

• In conjunction with state efforts, the Coast Guard conducted over 43,000 recreational vessel boardings, issued 

over 13,500 citations, and visited 2,000 recreational boat manufacturers to provide education and ensure 

compliance with Federal regulations. Further, the Coast Guard Auxiliary and the U.S. Power Squadrons 

completed over 130,000 vessel safety checks.

• Nearly 400,000 people successfully completed National Association of State Boating Law Administrators 

approved boating safety courses offered by the states, the Coast Guard Auxiliary, the U.S. Power Squadrons 

and others.

A Coast Guard Marine Inspector conducts a hull inspection on the new construction vessel OVERSEAS TEXAS 

at Aker Shipyard in Philadelphia, PA.
18 • FY 2009 U.S. Coast Guard Performance Report 

Marine Safety

FY 2009 Commercial Mariner Safety Performance Results

Federal regulations require the owner, agent, master, operator, or person in charge of U.S. flagged vessels to notify 

the Coast Guard of any loss of life or injury requiring professional medical treatment beyond first aid. The Coast 

Guard uses deaths and injuries as a measure of commercial mariner safety and the 5-year average number of deaths 

and injuries as an indicator of long-term performance trends in this community.

The annual number of deaths dropped from 49 to 44 and the annual number of injuries decreased from 339 to 325, 

for a combined total of 369 commercial mariner casualties recorded in FY 2009. 

Annual Commercial Mariner Deaths & Injuries

The 5-year average number of commercial mariner deaths and injuries has remained relatively constant over the 

past several years with year-to-year changes generally reflecting normal variation in annual results. FY 2009 

showed a slight decrease in the 5-year average number of deaths and injuries.

 

5-year average Commercial Mariner Deaths & Injuries

More than 75% of commercial mariner deaths and injuries were not related to a vessel casualty. These personnel 

injuries can be summarized as falls on board, falling overboard or being struck by an object. On a five-year average 

basis, more than 35% are due to incidents involving personnel associated with towing vessels and barges, and 25% 

with fishing vessels. These two industries combined account for more than 60% of mariner deaths and injuries.

In an effort to increase the safety of commercial mariners, particularly with regard to towing vessels, the Coast 

Guard, with industry partnership, is developing a Towing Vessel Bridging Strategy to ease the transition of towing 

vessel operators into a Coast Guard inspection regime. The Coast Guard is accomplishing this by enhancing, 

improving, and increasing its interactions with the towing vessel industry, and by acclimating all involved with the 

procedures, policy, requirements, and administration of an inspected program so that disruptions to commerce can 

be avoided when the regulations take effect.

Note: Some reports are delayed in reaching the Coast Guard and results are therefore likely to be revised upwards—

the greatest impact affecting recent quarters.

FY 2009 Commercial Passenger Safety Performance Results

Federal regulations require notification of any loss of life or injury requiring professional medical treatment beyond 

first aid of commercial passengers. The Coast Guard uses deaths and injuries as a measure of commercial passenger 

safety and the 5-year average as an indicator of long-term performance for this community. 
FY 2009 U.S. Coast Guard Performance Report • 19

Marine Safety

Commercial passenger deaths and injuries have varied significantly from one year to the next. Passenger deaths 

remained consistent in FY 2009, injuries dropped significantly from 192 to 127, and the combined total was nearly a 

30% improvement from FY 2008. 

Annual Commercial Passenger Deaths & Injuries

The five-year average number of commercial passenger deaths and injuries was 228 in FY 2009, an improvement of 

nearly 9% from the five-year average of 250 in FY 2008.

5-year average Commercial Passenger Deaths & Injuries

With regard to the reduction of passenger deaths and injuries, other than the SEN. JOHN J. MARCHI ferry fire in 

New York, where 13 passengers had minor injuries, there were no mass casualties involving six or more passengers 

this past fiscal year. Mass casualties have a significant impact on performance statistics, as evidenced by the cruise 

ship steering casualty outside of Miami, reflected in the FY 2006 increase.

Note: Some reports are delayed in reaching the Coast Guard and results are therefore likely to be revised upwards—

the greatest impact affecting recent quarters.

FY 2009 Recreational Boating Safety Performance Results

Federal regulations require operators or owners of vessels used for recreational purposes to file a Boating Accident 

Report when a person dies or disappears from the vessel under circumstances that indicate death or injury; a person 

is injured and requires medical treatment beyond first aid; damage to vessels and other property totals $2,000 or 

more; or there is a complete loss of any vessel. The Coast Guard uses deaths and injuries as a measure of marine 

safety for the recreational boating segment of the American maritime community, and a five-year average of these as 

an indicator of long-term performance trends.

The Coast Guard received reports of 763 deaths and 2,771 injuries for a combined total of 3,534 recreational boating 

casualties as of the end of FY 2009 as compared to the 4,052 deaths and injuries reported the previous year. As noted 

below, however, the Coast Guard expects to receive additional casualty reports for a few months after the fiscal year 

has ended. 

Annual Recreational Boating Deaths & Injuries
20 • FY 2009 U.S. Coast Guard Performance Report 

Marine Safety

The 5-year average number of recreational boating deaths and injuries has shown a small but steady decline for the 

past five years. 

5-year average Recreational Boating Deaths & Injuries

The Coast Guard’s Boating Safety Division attempts to prevent boating casualties through the implementation of 

the Strategic Plan of the National Recreational Boating Safety Program. Three critical objectives of the program 

include increasing the number of boaters who have completed a boating safety class, increasing life jacket wear rates, 

and decreasing boaters operating under the influence. Issues which safety education seeks to address—operator 

inattention, not maintaining a proper lookout, carelessness, reckless operation, and excessive speed—are primary 

contributing factors in all reported accidents. 

Alcohol use is a significant contributor in over 20% of boating fatalities. From 26-28 June, the Coast Guard 

participated in Operation Dry Water. This was an intensified effort, in 49 states and U.S. territories, to detect 

intoxicated boaters and enforce Boating Under the Influence (BUI) laws. As a result of this coordinated effort, 

local and Federal law enforcement agencies contacted over 35,000 boaters and issued 280 BUI citations and 5205 

warnings.

Note: Reported numbers are subject to change. FY 2009 actual results are based on reports submitted by state 

authorities that require validation. The Coast Guard expects further review of these reports, as well as the receipt 

of additional casualty reports after the fiscal year has ended, will reveal a decrease in deaths and an increase in 

injuries, resulting in a probable net increase in the 2009 Actual Number.

The Coast Guard’s National Recreational Boating Safety Program utilizes a partnering approach whereby Federal efforts 

are coordinated with the states and hundreds of other organizations. Above, the Arizona Game and Fish Department and 

National Park Service respond to an alcohol-related accident on Lake Powell.
FY 2009 U.S. Coast Guard Performance Report • 21

Illegal Drug Interdiction

Illegal Drug Interdiction 

The Coast Guard’s Drug Interdiction mission aims to disrupt the maritime flow of illegal drugs from source 

countries toward the United States in support of the Office of National Drug Control Policy’s (ONDCP) National 

Drug Control Strategy. This mission enhances the Nation’s border security and reduces the harmful impacts of 

illegal drugs on American society. As the lead Federal agency for maritime drug interdiction on the high seas, the 

Coast Guard reduces the supply of illegal drugs by denying drug trafficking organizations (DTO) the use of maritime 

routes. The Coast Guard focuses its efforts and resources on interdicting shipments of illegal drugs in the maritime 

transit zone, a six million square mile area comprised of the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, and Eastern Pacific Ocean. 

The Coast Guard executes a multi-faceted approach including supporting the JIATF-S detection and monitoring 

mission; providing interdiction surface and air assets and law enforcement personnel; and maintaining international 

and domestic partnerships to support national strategies. Disrupting DTOs denies funding sources for terrorism, 

transnational crimes, and other illicit activities. 

FY 2009 Performance Highlights

• The Coast Guard removed 160.1 MT (352,862 lbs) of cocaine, 71,234 lbs of marijuana; seized 58 vessels, and 

detained 322 suspected smugglers. 

• The Coast Guard directly contributed in disrupting 123 illicit drug movements with 42 of these events 

involving the Coast Guard’s Airborne Use of Force (AUF) capability deployed aboard Coast Guard cutters and 

U.S. Naval warships (USN). Coast Guard AUF aircraft and precision marksmen deployed on USN warships 

assisted in confiscating 24% of total cocaine removed in FY 2009. The AUF capability remains indispensible 

for interdicting the littoral go-fast vessels.

• Deployment of Coast Guard Law Enforcement Detachments (LEDETs) aboard USN and partner nation 

warships accounted for over 50% of total fiscal year cocaine removals. In FY 2009, LEDETs deployed aboard 

USN and partner nation warships removed over 187,737 lbs of cocaine, 4,035 lbs of marijuana, detained 128 

suspected smugglers, and seized 16 vessels.

• The Coast Guard successfully exercised bilateral agreements and operational procedures to interdict 36 foreign 

flagged vessels involved in drug smuggling. This led to the removal of over 40 MT (88,000 lbs) of cocaine and 

21,000 lbs of marijuana in the transit zone.

• On December 31, 2008, a Coast Guard LEDET embarked aboard the USS RODNEY M. DAVIS responded to 

a Self-Propelled Semi-Submersible (SPSS) vessel sighting by a Maritime Patrol Aircraft (MPA) in the Eastern 

Pacific Ocean. The MPA monitored the SPSS vessel and vectored RODNEY M. DAVIS to the location. Once 

in range, the ship launched its helicopter to monitor the SPSS. Upon counter-detecting the helicopter, the 

SPSS crewmembers donned life jackets and scuttled the vessel. The LEDET arrived in a small boat and safely 

embarked the four crewmembers from the SPSS vessel just prior to its sinking. An interagency group that 

convenes quarterly in support of the Consolidated Counter Drug Database later assessed that over 5.5 MT 

(12,122 lbs) of cocaine were aboard the scuttled SPSS vessel. This case provides a clear example of the whole of 

government approach to supporting ONDCP’s National Drug Control Strategy and reducing the supply of illicit 

drugs available on American streets. 

• On April 8, 2009, defendants from the above case were the first to be prosecuted under the Drug Trafficking 

Vessel Interdiction Act of 2008 (DTVIA), pleading guilty in a Federal court in Tampa, Florida. DTVIA makes 

it a felony offense to operate a stateless SPSS vessel in international waters with the intent to evade detection. 

This law enables the U.S. Government to prosecute drug traffickers without having to risk the safety of law 

enforcement personnel to try to recover contraband from a scuttled vessel. 

FY 2009 Performance Results

In FY 2009, the Coast Guard revised its methodology for measuring drug interdiction performance by using the 

more timely Consolidated Counter Drug Database (CCDB) as its source for tracking cocaine movement estimates. 

The CCDB quarterly, event-based estimates are historically more than 60% higher than the annual production- and 

consumption-based Interagency Assessment for Cocaine Movement estimates, which had previously been used as the 
22 • FY 2009 U.S. Coast Guard Performance Report 

Illegal Drug Interdiction

authoritative database. This could make it appear as though Coast Guard performance dropped from FY 2008. Using 

the CCDB cocaine non-commercial maritime cocaine estimate for FY 2009, the Coast Guard removed 15.0% of the 

cocaine coming to the United States through the transit zone falling just short of its target of 15.7%.

Removal Rate for Cocaine from Non-Commercial Vessels in Maritime Transit Zones

The Coast Guard removed slightly less cocaine in FY 2009 than in FY2008 (by 4%), yet achieved its third highest 

total removals on record with 160.1 MT of cocaine removed.

Metric Tons of Cocaine Removed

Use of SPSS vessels leveled off in FY 2009, with 59 documented cases carrying an estimated 332 MT (731,728 lbs) 

of cocaine. The DTO’s ability to smuggle large loads of cocaine in SPSS vessels in a stealthy manner makes them 

an attractive smuggling asset. SPSSs accounted for approximately 27% of estimated cocaine flow destined for the 

United States. To counter the SPSS threat, the Coast Guard worked closely with the Department of Justice and 

U.S. Congress to pass DTVIA, outlawing the operation of stateless SPSSs in international waters with the intent to 

evade detection. Coast Guard assets have interdicted 11 SPSS vessels; removed 64.9 MT (143,061 lbs) of cocaine; and 

detained 36 suspected smugglers for prosecution since DTVIA’s passage.

Despite the increased use of SPSS vessels in recent years, the go-fast vessel remains the smuggling platform of 

choice due to the ease of availability, low cost relative to building an SPSS vessel, and characteristics that allow it to 

blend easily with the seas and with legitimate traffic. The go-fast vessel travels the littorals, close to shore, in order 

to evade detection, and seeks cover of territorial seas if detected. The counter-drug bilateral agreements the U.S. 

government has with most partner nations in the region have provided U.S. counternarcotics forces with the ability 

to interdict drug trafficking vessels inside 

those countries’ territorial seas. In FY 2009, 

the Coast Guard interdicted 65 go-fast vessels 

removing 48.7 MT (107, 322 lbs) of cocaine 

and 64,200 lbs of marijuana. There were 526 

docu-mented go-fast vessel events, carrying 

approximately 561.8 MT (accounting for 46%) 

of total non-commercial maritime cocaine flow 

towards the United States. 

EASTERN PACIFIC OCEAN – The crew of a semi-submersible drug trafficking vessel 

prepares to abandon their boat before being intercepted and detained by the Coast Guard 

approximately 150 miles northwest of the Colombian-Ecuador border Jan. 8, 2009. A dozen 

suspected drug smugglers were apprehended in the Eastern Pacific Ocean following the 

interception of three semi-submersible vessels within nine days.
FY 2009 U.S. Coast Guard Performance Report • 23

Undocumented Migrant Interdiction

Undocumented Migrant Interdiction 

The Coast Guard Migrant Interdiction mission bolsters the Nation’s border security and reduces the adverse 

impacts of illegal immigration on the American people. As the lead agency for enforcement of maritime migrant 

interdiction, the Coast Guard directs planning and execution of migrant interdiction operations with its domestic 

and international law enforcement partners. The Coast Guard’s actions establish effective presence in high threat 

vectors providing a layered defense to deter, detect, and interdict undocumented migrants attempting to enter the 

United States illegally. Coast Guard migrant interdiction activities simultaneously preserve safety of life at sea 

while respecting the human rights of migrants embarked aboard Coast Guard assets. In the U.S. Territorial Sea 

and Contiguous Zone and along the shared maritime border with Canada and Mexico, the Coast Guard works closely 

with domestic and international partners to ensure seamless information sharing, integrated planning and effective 

operations. Through these efforts and participation in national and field level exercises, the Coast Guard maintains a 

state of readiness to rapidly implement the DHS mass migration plan, Operation Vigilant Sentry.

FY 2009 Performance Highlights 

• Interdicted nearly 3,700 undocumented migrants attempting to enter the United States.

• The known number of migrants attempting to illegally enter the United States via maritime routes (9,898) 

increased by less than 1% compared to FY 2008 and decreased 31% compared to FY 2007.

• Increased Coast Guard presence in the vicinity of Haiti during a significant increase in illegal migrant flow 

during the first quarter of FY 2009 helped deter a potential mass migration and reduce the loss of Haitian 

migrant lives.

• Using Biometrics at Sea System, the Coast Guard identified felons and repeat offenders attempting to enter 

the country illegally via the Mona Passage and the Florida Straits. During FY 2009, the Coast Guard collected 

data from 2,749 individuals; 711 of these individuals were found to have criminal records resulting in the 

prosecution of 333 individuals by the U.S. District Attorney’s Office. 

• Facilitated interdiction of 84% of the undocumented migrants detected attempting to enter the United States 

via maritime routes; the Coast Guard interdicted 37.5% of these migrants.

• On August 29, 2009, CGC DIAMONDBACK interdicted a pleasure craft off Lake Worth Inlet, Florida, 

suspected of smuggling migrants. Biometrics taken on six crewmembers resulted in positive hits for a number 

of felony violations including 

Aggravated Assault on a 

Federal Officer, Robbery 

with a Gun or Deadly 

Weapon, Final Orders of 

Deportation, Marijuana 

Possession and Smuggling, 

Forgery, and previous 

charges of 2nd Degree 

Murder. The individuals 

were transferred ashore 

to Customs and Border 

Protection (CBP) and 

Immigration and Customs 

Enforcement (ICE) 

for investigation and 

prosecution.

Suspected illegal migrants wait to be interviewed by immigration authorities March 19, 2009. 

The Coast Guard Cutter HADDOCK safely transported 21 passengers from an over-crowded 

25-foot vessel.
24 • FY 2009 U.S. Coast Guard Performance Report 

Undocumented Migrant Interdiction

FY 2009 Performance Results

The overall undocumented migrant flow has significantly decreased over the last five years (FY 2009: 9,900; FY 

2008: 10,900; FY 2007: 14,600; FY 2006: 17,400; FY 2005: 21,200). There continue to be periodic or spiked increases 

in migrant flow from Haiti, Cuba, and the Dominican Republic. During FY 2009, Haitian flow increased almost 

92% when compared to fiscal year 2008; by comparison, Cuban flow decreased almost 70%. The primary mode of 

conveyance for undocumented Cuban migrants shifted back to the traditional raft/rusticas during FY 2009, with 

the number of Cuban migrants using smugglers and go-fast vessels to attempt to enter the United States illegally 

dropping from 70% to 50%. In FY 2009, 84% of the undocumented migrants who attempted to enter the United 

States via maritime routes were interdicted—37.5% by the Coast Guard.

Percent of Undocumented Migrants who Attempt to Enter the United States via Maritime Routes that are Interdicted

Percent of Undocumented Migrants who Attempt to Enter the United States via Maritime Routes Interdicted by the Coast Guard

In a three week period in January 2009, there 

were 15 known smuggling events involving 

1,182 Haitian migrants who were interdicted or 

made landfall in other countries, a significant 

increase from the same period in FY 2008 (four 

known events involving 334 Haitian migrants). 

Migrant flow was averaging 300 migrants per 

week, a threefold increase over the historical 

average. To deter and respond to the mounting 

crisis, the Coast Guard significantly increased 

its presence in the region. The Coast Guard 

along with the State Department, other DHS 

Components and the U.S. Embassy in Haiti 

strategically messaged Coast Guard plans 

for an enhanced interdiction to deter and 

dissuade illegal, unsafe maritime migration. 

Through close collaboration with its partners, 

the Coast Guard was able to swiftly interdict 

and repatriate those migrants attempting 

this dangerous journey and minimize any 

perception of a change in U.S. policy regarding 

Haitian migrants.
FY 2009 U.S. Coast Guard Performance Report • 25

Ports, Waterways, and Coastal Security

Ports, Waterways, and Coastal Security

The goal of the Ports, Waterways, and 

Coastal Security (PWCS) mission is to 

reduce terror-related risk in the 

U. S. maritime domain. The Coast Guard 

directs its efforts towards detecting, 

deterring, preventing, and disrupting 

terrorist attacks, sabotage, espionage or 

subversive acts against U.S. maritime 

interests and citizenry. PWCS also 

includes the response and recovery from 

attacks that may occur. The Coast Guard’s 

systems approach to PWCS implements 

the triad of maritime security regimes, 

maritime domain awareness, and security 

and response operations. These are carried 

out in a unified and layered effort with 

other international, governmental, and 

private stakeholders.

FY 2009 Performance Highlights 

• The Coast Guard conducted 49,276 armed waterborne patrols projecting presence near maritime critical 

infrastructure or key resources; 18,690 security boardings of small vessels in and around U.S. ports, 

waterways, and coastal regions; 4,000 escorts of high-capacity passenger vessels, such as ferries and cruise 

ships; 1,855 security boardings of High Interest Vessels (designated as posing a greater-than-normal risk 

to the U.S.); 1,429 escorts of high-value USN vessels transiting U.S. waterways; and 660 escorts of vessels 

carrying Certain Dangerous Cargoes (CDCs). 

• The U.S. Coast Guard’s Maritime Security Risk Analysis Model (MSRAM) continued to support risk 

management decisions in the execution of the PWCS mission, helping prioritize security risk from terrorist 

attacks between assessing the risk between vastly different critical infrastructure facilities and key resources. 

MSRAM supported DHS port security grant funding decisions by enabling comparison of various ports to 

determine which had the highest risk. 

• The Coast Guard has expanded its awareness of shipping by implementing the Long Range Identification and 

Tracking (LRIT) system, as required by international convention. Applicable to vessels of 300 gross tons or 

more, LRIT allows us to monitor the security and safety of U.S. vessels in the dangerous waters off the Horn 

of Africa, provides the names and positions of all ships bound for the United States, and also provides this 

information for all ships within 1,000 nautical miles of US shores. 

• The continued build out of the National Automatic Identification System (NAIS) has also added to the Nation’s 

Maritime Domain Awareness. In addition to supporting the Coast Guard’s mandate under the Maritime 

Transportation Security Act of 2002, the combination of LRIT and land-based AIS has provided a rich store 

of information that has supported several federal agencies. 

• The Coast Guard conducted 62 international port security visits/evaluations. These visits ensure foreign 

nation compliance with port and ship facility protocols to increase the security of commerce bound for the 

United States. To further enhance security in U.S. ports, the Coast Guard imposed Conditions of Entry on 

vessels arriving from foreign ports lacking effective anti-terrorism measures. The Coast Guard also published 

seven Port Security Advisories (PSAs) to provide guidance to the maritime community on security issues 

related to piracy.

• The Coast Guard equipped and trained additional air stations around the country to increase its Airborne 

Use of Force (AUF) capability. AUF-capable helicopters offer a rapid and potent deterrence and response to 

terrorist threats. 

Coast Guard divers on a pier in San Francisco Bay prepare to conduct 

a mission to detect, deter, or respond to underwater terrorist acts. 
26 • FY 2009 U.S. Coast Guard Performance Report 

Ports, Waterways, and Coastal Security

• The Coast Guard began full-time enforcement of Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC) 

regulations nation-wide on April 15th. Since implementation, the Coast Guard inspected over 48,000 TWICs in 

port facilities throughout the United States. Additionally, as of September 2009, the Coast Guard has deployed 

a biometric hand-held reader to 50 Sectors and Marine Safety Units nationwide, including Hawaii, Alaska, 

and Guam, for a final field trial. Since that time, approximately 3,000 TWICs have been electronically verified 

utilizing the hand-held reader. Full hand-held reader deployment to field units is expected in FY 2010.

• The Coast Guard updated the Nation’s 43 Area Maritime Security Plans. The revisions incorporate lessons 

learned from recent hurricanes to enhance the recovery of the Marine Transportation System. Per SAFE Port 

Act requirements, the plans now integrate the DHS Strategy to Enhance International Supply Chain Security 

and Salvage Response Plans. The new plans align Coast Guard exercises with the Homeland Security Exercise 

and Evaluation Program.

• Coast Guard FORCECOM training teams conducted PWCS Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) equipment 

training. 3,826 Coast Guard personnel assigned to boarding teams learned how to use detection gear and 

properly wear and maintain protective clothing.

• At 12 designated, key seaports the Coast Guard developed Underwater Terrorism Preparedness Plans. The 

preparation, maintenance and exercising of these plans increases the Coast Guard’s ability to deter and 

respond to the threat of underwater attack. 

• Coast Guard Maritime Force Protection Units (MFPUs) Bangor, WA, and Kings Bay, GA, each received a 

new 87-foot cutter and 64-foot escort boat and crews. MFPUs’ protect Navy ballistic missile submarines from 

terrorist and other threats. 

Protection of high value assets – the Coast Guard Cutter 

OSPREY escorts U.S. Navy vessels in Seattle, Washington.
FY 2009 U.S. Coast Guard Performance Report • 27

Ports, Waterways, and Coastal Security

FY 2009 Performance Results

The Coast Guard uses several risk reduction measures as indicators of maritime security performance. Mission 

managers assess various security scenarios and estimate associated threat, vulnerability, and consequence levels to 

generate a proxy value of risk in the maritime domain which it can affect. The analysis then focuses on those areas 

of risk within the Coast Guard’s roles and strategic mandates. Coast Guard interventions—regime and awareness 

activities, and security and response operations—are evaluated to determine the percent reduction in risk the Coast 

Guard is able to influence.

Percent Reduction in Maritime Terrorism Risk Over which the Coast Guard Has Influence

The Coast Guard exceeded its target in 

this performance measure; the model used 

for this measure estimates that the Coast 

Guard reduced 31% of terrorism risk in 

the maritime domain. The increase in 

performance is attributable to expanded 

MDA capacity in AIS, LRIT, and Rescue 

21. Training and exercising of Maritime 

Security Plans for vessels and facilities 

and the TWIC regulations contributed to 

improved results. International Ship and 

Port Facility Code compliance and International Port Security program efforts 

also contributed to improved performance. 

These improvements had a multiplicative 

effect on success of Coast Guard activities 

within the model, i.e., greater MDA allows 

Coast Guard assets to be employed against 

threats in a timely manner. Thus, model limitations judging 

activity effectiveness may be slightly overstating improved 

performance results.

MTSAAnnual Required Facility Inspection Rate

The Maritime Transportation Security Act of 2002 (MTSA) requires owners and operators of certain vessels, 

facilities, and outer continental shelf facilities to have security plans that are subject to periodic review. Coast Guard 

inspections are required to be conducted at least twice a year at each facility. At the close of FY 2009, there were 

approximately 3,003 waterfront MTSA-regulated facility records in the Coast Guard database, which is down from 

3,200 in 2008. The Coast Guard completed its required number of inspections for FY 2009. 

A Coast Guard Airborne Use of Force capable 

helicopter participates in boat-intercept training 

in San Pablo Bay, CA in February, 2009.
28 • FY 2009 U.S. Coast Guard Performance Report 

Defense Readiness

Defense Readiness

Since its inception in 1790, the Coast Guard has served as a maritime constabulary force, participating in all of 

the Nation’s major armed conflicts for the past 211 years. The Coast Guard of today builds upon this tradition as 

an independent military service and as a specialized service under the Department of Navy when directed by the 

President, or upon Congressional direction in times of war. The Coast Guard’s distinct authorities and expertise as 

a multi-mission, military, and law 

enforcement service provide unique 

capabilities which the Department of 

Defense (DoD) frequently leverages 

to support Combatant Commanders’ 

priorities.

Guided by statute and national strategic guidance, the Departments 

of Homeland Security and Defense 

have provided clear direction to military planners on missions the Coast 

Guard may perform. Captured in the 

2008 Memorandum of Agreement 

on the Use of Coast Guard forces 

in Support of the National Military 

Strategy, the respective Departments outlined eight mission areas

in which Coast Guard expertise, authorities, and capabilities will aid other DoD forces in supporting the military 

plans of the Combatant Commanders. Whether supporting the Navy in combating piracy in the waters near the Horn 

of Africa, deploying law enforcement teams from U.S. Navy combatants to stem the flow of illegal drugs, or responding to humanitarian crisis as part of a Combatant Commander surface task force, the Coast Guard remains a vital 

component of U.S. national defense.

FY 2009 Performance Highlights

• Continued the deployment of six patrol boats, two Law Enforcement Detachments (LEDETS), and their 

supporting and command elements in the Arabian Gulf to bolster the Combatant Commander’s ability to 

secure sea-lanes, prosecute terrorism at sea, train Iraqi naval forces, and protect Iraq’s vital offshore oil 

infrastructure.

• Coast Guard Cutter BOUTWELL circumnavigated the globe during a deployment to the USPACOM, 

USCENTCOM, USEUCOM, USAFRICOM, and USSOUTHCOM theaters of operations. 

• Deployed four Coast Guard personnel to the Port of Umm Qasr to train and advise the Ministry of 

Transportation in the efforts to reach International Ship and Port Facility Security Code compliance and to 

further the Government of Iraq’s efforts to establish comprehensive maritime security.

• Coast Guard Cutter LEGARE deployed to USAFRICOM’s theater of operations to conduct African Maritime 

Law Enforcement Partnership (AMLEP) with the nations of Sierra Leone, Morocco, Cape Verde, and Senegal. 

AMLEP was born out of USAFRICOM’s Africa Partnership Station (APS) theater maritime engagement 

effort. AMLEP leverages Coast Guard competencies and authorities to help West African nations govern their 

sovereign waters.

• Coast Guard personnel provided security for 239 U.S. military outload evolutions, directly providing supplies 

to support Operations Iraqi and Enduring Freedom.

• Coast Guard continued support to NORAD’s “Low and Slow” air intercept mission under Operation Noble 

Eagle. In addition to the National Capitol Region standing mission, which employs five Coast Guard HH-65 
FY 2009 U.S. Coast Guard Performance Report • 29

Defense Readiness

Dolphin helicopters, the Coast Guard performed short-duration missions in Cape Canaveral, Chicago, 

New York, Pittsburgh, and Martha’s Vineyard. 

• PSU 311 and 301 deployed to the Middle East with U.S. Navy Maritime Security Squadrons to support 

Operation Iraqi Freedom point defense and harbor security operations in Kuwait.

• Coast Guard PSU and Maritime Safety and Security Team (MSST) detachments continued port security 

operations in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, to provide harbor security for detainee military tribunals.

• Coast Guard Redeployment Assistance and Inspection Detachment (RAID) personnel conducted containerized 

cargo inspections on war materials returning from Operations Iraqi and Enduring Freedom. The Coast Guard 

teams with the Army’s 595th Transportation Terminal Group to perform this mission in USCENTCOM’s 

theater of operations. 

• Coast Guard Mobile Training Teams delivered maritime training and capacity-building assistance to more 

than 60 nations. These short-term efforts contributed to larger developmental programs managed by another 

government agency or foreign partner and were fully funded external to the Coast Guard.

• Coast Guard intelligence personnel delivered responsive critical intelligence information in support of national 

and departmental military operations to Combatant Command and DOD assets at the Joint Interagency Task 

Force.

FY 2009 Performance Results

The Coast Guard provides available forces when requested by DoD. The readiness of Coast Guard units to support 

DOD requests is populated in the Navy’s Status of Resources and Training System (SORTS). SORTS uses a 1-to-4 

scale, where C1 equals maximum readiness to meet Combatant Commander operational plan requirements and C4 

equals not mission ready. 

Note: The defense readiness performance measures reported in FY 2009 will be retired in FY 2010. These measures 

are being replaced with similar SORTS-based readiness measures that employ different methodology to better reflect 

readiness of the Port Security Units and the entire fleet of patrol boats and high endurance cutters. In addition, the 

Coast Guard is working with the U.S. Navy to ensure continued access to SORTS data throughout FY 2010 as the 

system is phased out, and to ensure seamless transition to the new Defense Readiness Reporting System (DRRS) by 

the end of CY 2010.

Percent of time Required-Units were rated C2 or better

Declining High Endurance Cutter readiness and PSU readiness shortfalls drove the overall SORTS measure 

down in FY 2009. The low performance results are primarily due to personnel and training shortfalls between 

deployments for these reserve forces. In addition, two cutters were out of service due to maintenance issues for a 

majority of FY 2009.

PSUs have been placed under the command of the Deployable Operations Group (DOG). The DOG is pursuing 

initiatives to address PSU shortfalls. High Endurance Cutter readiness is being addressed by the Coast Guard’s 

acquisition of the National Security Cutter (NSC) and rejuvenation of the larger Medium Endurance Cutters. The 

first NSC, Coast Guard Cutter BERTHOLF, commenced operations this fiscal year, with an additional NSC, the 

Coast Guard Cutter WAESCHE, to follow in FY 2010. These cutters must complete post-delivery test and evaluation 

and systems certifications to achieve Full Operational Capability.
30 • FY 2009 U.S. Coast Guard Performance Report 

Defense Readiness

Defense Readiness of High Endurance Cutters

Two cutters were out of service due to maintenance issues for a majority of FY 2009. Asset deficiencies are being 

addressed in part by Coast Guard acquisition programs, (i.e., National Security Cutter acquisition) which will yield 

essential system-wide capability improvements and sustain operational performance.

Defense Readiness of Patrol Boats

The Coast Guard did not meet its FY 2009 target mainly due to asset availability of the aging patrol boat inventory. 

Patrol Boat readiness is being addressed by the Coast Guard’s acquisition of the Fast Response Cutter which 

will yield increased capability for defense readiness mission performance. The Fast Response Cutter contract 

was awarded in September for the design and construction of up to 34 vessels. The first Fast Response Cutter is 

scheduled to be delivered in early 2011.

Defense Readiness of Port Security Units

PSU readiness was below the target for FY 2009 due primarily to personnel and training shortfalls between 

deployments for these reserve forces. The DOG assumed management of the Port Security Units and has launched 

initiatives to address readiness issues. Consolidating Port Security Unit oversight at the DOG will increase focus on 

these reserve units and contribute to an increase in readiness. Additional initiatives to address Port Security Unit 

personnel and readiness shortfalls are expected to yield positive results in FY 2010. 

KUWAIT – United States Coast Guard Petty Officer 

3rd Class Chris Curran, a machinery technician, 

Port Security Unit 301, braces himself aboard the 

Transportable Port Security Boat during vessel 

on vessel tactics with the U.S. Navy Maritime 

Expeditionary Security Squadron Five, Sept. 5, 2009.
FY 2009 U.S. Coast Guard Performance Report • 31

Marine Environmental Protection

Marine Environmental Protection 

The Coast Guard’s Marine Environmental Protection mission protects 

the marine environment by regulating the discharge of oil, hazardous 

substances, and other shipboard 

wastes into U.S. and international 

waterways, stopping unauthorized ocean dumping, averting the 

introduction of invasive species, 

responding to oil and hazardous 

substance incidents, and mitigating the consequences of incidents. 

The Coast Guard accomplishes the 

Marine Environmental Protection mission through prevention 

and response activities. The Coast 

Guard develops regulations and 

operating standards for domestic 

vessels and marine facilities; represents the United States at the International 

Maritime Organization (IMO) as an advocate 

for responsible international environmental and 

operational standards; enforces standards by conducting frequent shoreside and vessel examinations, inspections, and boardings; and minimizes 

oil and hazardous substance impacts to human health, the environment, and the Marine Transportation system. 

When accidents do happen, the Coast Guard responds in partnership with other Federal agencies, state and local 

governments, and the maritime industry to ensure that the impacts of an incident are minimized.

The Coast Guard, in cooperation with other U.S. and international stakeholders, continues to push forward efforts 

aimed at protecting and preserving the global maritime environment. As an active leader in international forums 

such as the IMO and International Organization for Standardization (ISO), the Coast Guard is moving ahead in 

refining protocols established by the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL 

Convention), as well as helping define future standards related to the handling of shipboard wastes onboard vessels 

and at shoreside reception facilities. In October 2008, the United States became signatory to MARPOL Annex VI 

– prevention of air pollution from ships. Since January 2009, while conducting routine vessel inspections and Port 

State Control exams, the Coast Guard has ensured ships comply with Annex VI. The Coast Guard also obtained 

approval from the International Maritime Organization to establish an internationally recognized Emission Control 

Area (ECA) extending 200 nautical miles off the Canadian and U.S. coasts of North America. Ships transiting this 

ECA will dramatically reduce sulfur oxide and nitrogen oxide emissions proven to be hazardous to people and the 

environment. Achieving results with these endeavors will continue to demand a proactive and collaborative effort, 

but will lead to cleaner, safer oceans and waterways.

FY 2009 Performance Highlights

• Conducted over 25,400 container inspections (3% increase over FY 2008), identifying more than 5,200 

deficiencies that led to 780 cargo or container shipments being placed on hold until dangerous conditions 

were corrected.

• Investigated and responded to approximately 3,600 pollution incidents.

The Coast Guard’s Pacific Strike Team attempts to access 15,000 

gallons of diesel on board the grounded 112-foot F/V MAR-GUN

on the north side of St. George Island, Pribilof Islands, Bering Sea, 

Alaska. The fuel was successfully removed from the vessel, which 

was later refloated and towed to Dutch Harbor. 
FY 2009 U.S. Coast Guard Performance Report • 32 

Marine Environmental Protection

• Performed over 17,300 inspections at facilities to ensure compliance with safety, security, and environmental 

protection regulations.

• Initiated a front end analysis for the Federal On Scene Coordinator Representative roles and responsibilities. 

The results of this analysis will be presented in the form of process improvement recommendations in FY 2010.

• Conducted nearly 11,000 Port State Control examinations, which included examinations of Ballast Water for 

elimination of aquatic nuisance species, testing Oily Water Separators to prevent oil from being discharged 

into the ocean, as well as other pollution prevention and vessel safety activities.

• Developed and disseminated interim guidelines for the use of volunteers during oil spill response in support of 

Federal On Scene Coordinators. These guidelines will be followed by a Technical Assistance Document from 

the National Response Team in FY 2010. Began planning for a Spill of National Significance exercise to be 

held in Northern New England in March 2010. 

• Performed over 12,000 MARPOL Annex VI exams onboard U.S. and foreign ships to ensure compliance with 

international and U.S. shipboard air emission standards.

• Developed and promulgated the U.S. interpretation of MARPOL Annex II standards onboard Offshore Supply 

Vessels (OSV) in accordance with Resolution A.673(16) – Guidelines for the Transport and Handling of limited 

amounts of hazardous and noxious substances in bulk in OSVs.

• Developed and promulgated guidance for compliance with MARPOL Annex IV – Sewage.

• Initiated Non-tank Vessel Response Plan Rulemaking Project to bring approximately 12,000 vessels into 

compliance with vessel response plan requirements.

FY 2009 Performance Results

Federal regulation requires vessel or facility operators to report the discharge of any hazardous substance that 

equals or exceeds reportable quantities and requires the reporting of any discharge of oil or oil products that cause a 

sheen, discoloration, sludge or emul-sion on or below the surface of any navigable waterway of the United States. The 

Coast Guard uses the number of chemical discharge incidents and the number of oil spills greater than 100 gallons 

as proxy indicators of marine environmental protection, and normalizes 5-year averages of these as indicators of 

long-term trends. There were 98 oil spills greater than 100 gallons documented by the end of FY 2009, about 20% 

fewer than the 122 reported for FY 2008.

Annual Number of Oil Spills >100 gallons

The annual number of chemical discharge incidents remained low in FY 2009; only 22 chemical discharge incidents 

were recorded. 

Annual Number of Chemical Discharge Incidents

The five-year average number of oil spills greater than 100 gallons has shown a consistent but slowing decline since 

2003. The five-year average of 11.8 spills per 100 million short tons of oil and oil products shipped is about a 10% 

improvement over the 13.2 recorded in FY 2008.
FY 2009 U.S. Coast Guard Performance Report • 33

Marine Environmental Protection

Five-year Average Number of Oil Spills >100 Gallons per 100 Million Short Tons Shipped

The five-year average number of chemical discharge incidents continued a trend of improvement in FY 2009. 

The five-year average discharge incidents per 100 million short tons of chemicals shipped was 17.8 in FY 2009 as 

compared to 19.8 in FY 2008.

Five-year Average Number of Chemical Discharge Incidents per 100 Million Short Tons Shipped

Shore facilities remain the primary source of spills in the maritime environment, accounting for nearly 30% of the 

five-year average of chemical spills and oil spills greater than 100 gallons. Approximately 90% of chemical spills 

and 60% of oil spills greater than 100 gallons are accounted for by situations where the initial event is a pollution 

incident (e.g. a spill occurring during fuel transfer operation) while the remainder occur following an initial event 

like a vessel collision, allision, grounding, loss of steering, material failure, sinking, flooding, fire, or explosion.

Note: Current results are subject to change due to delays in receiving some reports and the time required to 

complete some investigations, with the greatest impact affecting recent quarters. Shipping statistics from the Army 

Corps of Engineers are used to calculate the normalized five-year averages. These data are generally not available 

until December following the calendar year and current values are a projection from five years of past data.

In FY 2009, the Coast Guard assessed the current data collection and reporting systems available for oil spill 

response analysis and discovered opportunities for improvement. A plan has been implemented to enhance the 

systems which will improve evaluation of the Marine Environmental Response program and highlight areas for 

response activity improvement. The previous measure was determined to be unsupportable within the current data 

collection and evaluation systems and did not provide useful information for response process improvement. One 

new measure is being developed that will aid in developing recommendations for program improvements to pollution 

response. After sufficient time for proper evaluation and 

baseline establishment, a target for this measure will 

be set.

U.S. Coast Guard Container Inspector MK3 Sean Lasch of Sector 

Jacksonville conducts a container inspection jointly with Customs 

and Border Protection Officers during a Multi-Agency Strike 

Force Operation in Jacksonville, FL. The Coast Guard inspects 

containerized cargo for compliance with hazardous material 

shipping regulations to ensure the safety of ports, vessels, and 

the public.
FY 2009 U.S. Coast Guard Performance Report • 34 

Living Marine Resources (LMR) Law Enforcement

Living Marine Resources (LMR) Law Enforcement

The Nation’s oceans are a significant source of renewable resources. The Coast Guard is the lead Federal agency 

for at-sea enforcement of the Nation’s fisheries and marine protected species laws and regulations. Living Marine 

Resources (LMR) mission requirements are fulfilled through implementation of the Coast Guard’s Fisheries 

Enforcement Strategic Plan, Ocean Guardian. The Coast Guard remains the only agency with the maritime 

authority and infrastructure to project Federal law enforcement presence over the entire U.S. Exclusive Economic 

Zone (EEZ), which covers 

nearly 3.4 million square 

miles of ocean. The Coast 

Guard LMR law enforcement 

mission is designed to ensure 

compliance with fisheries 

and marine protected species 

regulations by domestic vessels 

through education, outreach, 

patrols of fishing grounds, 

and directed law enforcement 

actions. These efforts continue 

to be a necessary element 

for the Nation’s Fishery 

Management Plans, Marine 

Mammal Take Reduction 

Plans, and National Marine 

Sanctuaries to prevent overfishing, reduce mortality of 

protected species and protect 

marine habitats, while maintaining 

a level playing field for domestic 

fishers. 

FY 2009 Performance Highlights

• Conducted over 5,400 fishery 

boardings with an observed at 

sea compliance rate of 96.7%.

• For the first time, National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Office for Law 

Enforcement (OLE) officers regularly deployed on Coast Guard assets to help enforce regulations within the 

Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary. Local Coast Guard units dedicated over 600 

resource hours to protect one of the Nation’s valuable marine mammal habitats.

• On October 30, 2008, Coast Guard Cutter WALNUT boarded the U.S. flagged F/V PACIFIC HORIZON 

fishing in the Cook Islands EEZ. Coast Guard personnel, accompanied by a Cook Islands fisheries inspector, 

discovered and seized 15 pounds of shark fins illegally retained under the Shark Finning Prohibition Act.

• On January 7, 2009, Coast Guard Air Station Kodiak dispatched a helicopter to investigate a vessel detected 

inside the Marmot Island Stellar Sea Lion closed area by NOAA Fisheries on its Vessel Monitoring System. 

The helicopter crew subsequently sighted the F/V RAI DAWN illegally fishing inside the zone. The zone is 

closed to fishing in order to protect the endangered Stellar Sea Lion. After the Coast Guard ordered the vessel 

to return to port, NOAA OLE boarded the vessel at the pier, issuing a notice of violation and seizing over 5,000 

pounds of cod.

• On March 21, 2009, Coast Guard Marine Safety Unit Lake Charles boarded the F/V WAYMAKER trawling 

for shrimp in Louisiana state waters without required turtle excluder devices. In cooperation with Louisiana’s 

On April 6, 2009, during a patrol on the Withlacoochee River a civilian flagged 

a boat from Coast Guard Station Yankeetown to show them a small manatee 

weighing about 30 pounds that appeared to have been hit by an unknown vessel. 

Working closely with Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, 

Coast Guard personnel helped to transfer the injured manatee to a recovery 

facility at Lowery Park Zoo in Tampa, Florida. Their efforts led to the manatee’s 

successful recovery, helping to ensure the endangered species’ survival.
FY 2009 U.S. Coast Guard Performance Report • 35

Living Marine Resources (LMR) Law Enforcement

Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, the Coast Guard seized the vessel and catch for using illegal gear and 

retention of prohibited species.

• On September 9, 2009, Coast Guard Station Miami boarded a recreational vessel 12 miles west of Elliot Key, 

FL. Coast Guard personnel found 79 spiny lobster on board which they determined to have been illegally 

caught in the territorial sea of The Bahamas. In partnership with NOAA OLE, the dead lobsters were seized 

and live lobsters were released back into the marine environment.

• On September 13, 2009, Coast Guard Cutter BLACKFIN observed the Charter Fishing Vessel ERNA-B 

fishing inside California’s Footprint Marine Protected Area, which lies within the Channel Islands National 

Marine Sanctuary. After conferring with California Department of Fish & Game, the Coast Guard cited the 

vessel for illegally fishing and the case was forwarded to the state for prosecution.

• On December 14, 2008, Coast Guard Cutter CAMPBELL conducted an intelligence driven boarding of F/V 

GRACE MARIE. The boarding team determined the vessel’s gear exceeded mesh size limits for their location. 

The at-sea boarding confirmed NOAA’s information on illicit activity, allowing them to open an investigation 

into F/V GRACE MARIE and two other vessels suspected of similar violations. Eventually, the catch of all 

three vessels was seized at a value in excess of $40,000 for the use of illegal fishing gear. 

FY 2009 Performance Result

The Coast Guard uses the percentage of fishing vessels observed at-sea complying with domestic regulations as a 

measure of the Coast Guard’s impact on enforcement of U.S. fisheries and protected species regulations. The measure 

reflects the percentage of Coast Guard boardings at-sea where no significant violations of domestic LMR regulations 

are detected.

The Coast Guard conducted 5,423 living marine resource boardings in FY 2009. Of these boardings, 177 resulted in 

the detection of at least one significant living marine resource violation. The largest portions of significant violations 

detected were in the Gulf of Mexico shrimp, Gulf of Mexico reef fish, and New England lobster fisheries.

Percent of USCG Boardings at Sea in which No Significant Violations are Detected when Domestic Fisheries Regulations Apply

The increase in the compliance rate from 95.3% in FY 2008 to 96.7% in FY 2009 was primarily due to a decrease 

in the number of observed significant violations from 267 to 177. There are several possible reasons for the large 

reduction in the significant violations detected including economic disincentives to fish, significance of penalties, and 

perception of increased enforcement. The reduction in boarding efforts is, in part, the result of changed procedures 

that more accurately capture Coast Guard efforts to enforce LMR laws and regulations. While there is a deterrence 

relationship between Coast Guard presence and violations, other factors influence compliance such as natural 

disasters, changing biomass distribution, market prices, fuel prices, regulatory complexity, and the perceived 

effectiveness of enforcement and prosecution.

The Coast Guard remains committed to coordinating with NOAA and staying engaged in the Regional Fishery 

Management Council process to keep abreast of the myriad, dynamic drivers affecting the fishing industry.
FY 2009 U.S. Coast Guard Performance Report • 36 

Other Law Enforcement (OLE) 

The Other Law Enforcement (OLE) mission is more accurately 

described as Foreign Fishing Vessel Law Enforcement and contributes 

to the Coast Guard’s maritime security and stewardship roles. This 

mission ensures the integrity of the U.S. maritime border and Exclusive 

Economic Zone (EEZ), strengthens the deterrence of living marine 

resource thefts from areas of U.S. jurisdiction, supports the elimination 

of illegal fishing practices on the high seas, and provides for monitoring 

compliance with international living marine resource regimes and 

international agreements to which the United States is party. As 

worldwide fish stocks continue to decline, incentive increases among 

foreign fishers to poach the relatively well managed and more robust 

U.S. fish stocks. Preventing illegal encroachment by foreign fishing 

vessels is vital to protecting the integrity of our maritime borders and 

ensuring the health of U.S. fisheries. The Coast Guard patrols the 

EEZ boundary areas to neutralize the threat of foreign poaching of 

U.S. living marine resources. In addition, the Coast Guard monitors 

compliance with various international agreements and assists coastal 

nations to combat damaging Illegal, Unreported, Unregulated (IUU) 

fishing activity. IUU fishing is linked to negative impacts on maritime 

and economic security in coastal and regional areas worldwide. The 

United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization estimates IUU 

fishing globally costs nations up to $23billion annually.

FY 2009 Performance Highlights

• Detected 112 illegal incursions by foreign fishing vessels into the U.S. EEZ.

• The number of detected incursions in the U.S./Mexico Gulf Mexico EEZ increased from 67 to 85. 

• The number of detected incursions in the vast Western/Central Pacific EEZ increased from 12 to 26.

• U.S./Russian Maritime Boundary Line (MBL) activity remained low with one detected incursion. 

• Boarded 57 foreign vessels outside of the U.S. EEZ to ensure compliance with fishing regulations under the 

authority of bilateral enforcement agreements and regional fisheries management organizations.

• On September 9, 2009, Coast Guard Cutter MANATEE observed the Mexican F/V ROSA MARIA illegally 

fishing two nautical miles inside U.S. waters off the coast of Texas. A subsequent boarding of the vessel found 

approximately eight tons of shrimp along with various reef fish. Based on these findings, the MANATEE 

escorted ROSA MARIA to port and turned the vessel, crew, and catch over to NOAA for prosecution.

• Coast Guard operations in the Western and Central Pacific continue to focus patrol efforts through use 

of electronic monitoring systems including Vessel Monitoring System and predictive analysis of oceanic 

environmental factors conducive to fishing. In August 2009, these tools enabled a Coast Guard air patrol in the 

U.S. waters of the Northern Marianas Islands to target three Taiwan F/Vs illegally fishing within U.S. waters. 

NOAA used the evidence gathered by the Coast Guard to negotiate a settlement with Taiwanese officials. This 

case also highlights the effectiveness of the international fishery regimes in combating IUU fishing. The IUU 

listing process of the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission and the threat of sanctions facilitated 

the response by the vessels’ owners and Taiwan to reach a settlement.

• In June of 2009, Coast Guard law enforcement officers based in Hawaii joined the crew of USS CROMMELIN 

(FFG 37) to support Coast Guard fisheries enforcement in the Western and Central Pacific. USS 

CROMMELIN was on a routine deployment in the Western Pacific at the time. The Coast Guard and Navy’s 

cooperative effort greatly enhanced the Coast Guard’s maritime domain awareness and increased its effective 

presence. This partnership has demonstrated DOD’s willingness to support the Coast Guard’s efforts to combat 

IUU fishing in the Pacific.

• During a North Pacific Anadromous Fishery Commission (NPAFC)/IUU patrol outside areas of national 

jurisdiction, Coast Guard Cutter MUNRO conducted a joint boarding with a Chinese shiprider on a vessel 

Other Law Enforcement (OLE)

IUU Fishing – On August 18, 2009, Coast Guard 

Cutter LEGARE assisted Sierra Leone in the 

boarding of the Taiwanese F/V YU-FENG. 

The YU-FENG was documented illegally 

fishing in the waters of Sierra Leone. During 

the joint boarding, it was also found that the 

vessel did not have the required observer or 

number of Sierra Leone workers onboard. 

At the request of Sierra Leone, LEGARE

escorted the vessel into port where further 

investigation led to the seizure of 90 tons 

of illegally caught fish. This boarding was 

part of LEGARE’s deployment to work with 

the Africa Partnership Station (APS) activities on the coast of West Africa. LEGARE’s 

patrol has paved the way for future joint 

Coast Guard-DOD operations to increase 

maritime security and governance by combating IUU fishing.
FY 2009 U.S. Coast Guard Performance Report • 37

suspected of illegal high seas driftnet (HSDN) fishing. The Chinese shiprider verified the ZHE PU YU LENG 

9 was a Chinese flagged fishing vessel. This put the vessel in violation of Chinese law with respect to the use 

of large-scale HSDN gear. MUNRO escorted and transferred the ZHE PU YU LENG 9 to Chinese authorities 

for additional investigation and prosecution. The Coast Guard has conducted cooperative patrols with Chinese 

fishery enforcement personnel in the North Pacific for over a decade.

FY 2009 Performance Result

The Coast Guard uses the number of detected incursions into the U.S. EEZ by foreign fishing vessels and the 

interdiction rate, as measures of Coast Guard performance in protecting U.S. maritime sovereignty and U.S. 

valuable fish stocks from IUU fishing. Incursions detected by both the Coast Guard and other sources are included 

when these reports are judged by operational commanders as being of sufficient validity to order resources to respond 

whether or not an asset is deployed. There were 112 detected incursions into the U.S. EEZ in FY2009. The majority 

of incursions were Mexican lanchas (small motorboats) in the Gulf of Mexico EEZ. There were 85 detected incursions 

of these small, elusive vessels in FY 2009, which was well below the past three years’ average of 105. The majority 

of the remaining detected incursions occurred in the Western and Central Pacific EEZ. This year’s 26 detected 

incursions in the Western and Central Pacific are nearly double the three year average.

Number of Incursions into the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone

The Coast Guard interdicted 15 out of 85 illegal incursions by foreign fishing vessels in the Gulf of Mexico and 

one out of twenty six in the Western and Central Pacific. These combined for an interdiction rate of 14.3%. In 

comparison, the interdiction rate was 16% in FY 2008 and 23% in FY 2007. The Coast Guard remains committed 

to employing available assets to intercept and interdict vessels illegally fishing in the EEZ. Stopping or limiting 

incursions in the Gulf of Mexico EEZ remains challenging due to the size and limited radar signature of the lanchas 

and the proximity of their activities to Mexican waters. In the Western and Central Pacific EEZ, the remote location 

of incursions continues to create difficulties in positioning Coast Guard assets to detect illegal incursions and take 

law enforcement action.

Interdiction Rate of Foreign Fishing Vessels Detected Violating the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone

The Coast Guard remains dedicated to mitigating the ecological, economic, and social costs caused by IUU 

fishing. In FY 2009, the Coast Guard supported U.S. efforts to develop stronger international regimes to combat 

IUU at regional multilateral forums such as the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization’s Port State 

Measures negotiations, Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission, the North Pacific Anadromous Fisheries 

Commission, the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization, and the North Pacific Coast Guard Forum. In 

addition, the Coast Guard utilized bilateral ship-rider and ship-boarding agreements with Pacific Island Nations 

to improve maritime governance and deter IUU. These efforts allowed the Coast Guard to conduct 57 boardings of 

foreign fishing vessels under the authority of bilateral enforcement agreements and regional fishery management 

organizations.

Note: Some reports are delayed in reaching the Coast Guard and past performance results are therefore likely to be revised.

Other Law Enforcement (OLE)
FY 2009 U.S. Coast Guard Performance Report • 38 

Aids To Navigation

Aids to Navigation

The Coast Guard’s Aids to Navigation (ATON) 

mission is to facilitate safe and efficient movement of goods and people through the Marine 

Transportation System (MTS). Reliable navigation systems, marine information, and a variety 

of navigation-enabling services enhance capacity, improve safety, and minimize disruptions in 

the navigable waterways component of the MTS.

While visual aids are most commonly associated with the ATON mission, the Coast Guard 

provides a range of services to meet the mandates of this mission. For instance, the Bridge 

Program ensures bridges and causeways over 

or on the navigable waters of the United States 

do not unreasonably impede the passage of 

waterborne commerce and other marine traffic; 

has responsibility for requiring and approving lighting and marking of bridges; manages 

drawbridge schedules; and provides information 

to the public about changes or discrepancies to 

any of these. The Marine Transportation System Division formally collaborates with Federal, state, and local agencies, industry, and other stakeholders, including Harbor Safety Committees on navigation safety issues and regulates 

pilotage service on the Great Lakes. The Navigation Systems Division provides navigation information, visual and 

electronic navigational aids, and vessel traffic management services. It is in the application of these various waterways management elements that the Coast Guard fulfills its Aids to Navigation mission.

FY 2009 Performance Highlights

• Facilitated the safe and efficient movement of vessels on the Nation’s 25,000 miles of waterways, 12,000 miles 

of inland waterways, and 95,000 miles of coastline comprising the U.S. Marine Transportation System. 

• The number of Collisions, Allisions, and Groundings (CAGs) over the five-year period between FY 2005 and FY 

2009 declined nine percent.

• Achieved a 98% Aid Availability rate guaranteeing that all mariners on U.S. navigable waterways can rely on 

the U.S. Federal short-range aids system.

• Charted and marked 65 nautical miles of the Kuskokwim River in Alaska, a previously uncharted river used 

for supplying 56 remote Alaskan Villages. 

• Managed nearly 1.3 million commercial vessel transits in 12 of the Nation’s most congested ports. 

• Provided reliable visual aids to navigation throughout the United States and its territories, while improving 

efficiency of operations by increasing the nationwide average service interval to nearly 30 months.

• Partnered with NOAA to protect right whales in the busy shipping lanes around Boston by working through 

the IMO to change the traffic separation schemes to accommodate whale migration. 

• Maintained an around the clock information service to provide mariners with up to date reports of all 

potentially unsafe conditions.

• Partnered with Federal agencies, the international community, and industry to continue to develop standards

to expand use of data from the Automatic Identification System to search and rescue, navigation, and marine 

planning.

• Prepared for potential future ATON requirements in the maritime transportation system by partnering with 

Alaska, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Transportation Research Board to conduct risk assessments 

of maritime transportation in the Bering Sea and the Aleutian Archipelago.

The Coast Guard Bridge Program has the statutory responsibility under the Truman-Hobbs 

Act to order the alteration of 

bridges found to be unreasonably obstructive to marine 

navigation. The construction 

of three Coast Guard TrumanHobbs bridge alteration projects started in FY 2009, and a fourth is expected to start in February 

2010; all four construction projects are funded by a combination of previous years appropriations ($120.4M) and the American Recovery and 

Reinvestment Act of 2009 ($142.0 M). The four bridges being altered are: 

Mobile Bridge, Mobile River; EJ&E Bridge, Illinois Waterway; Burlington 

Bridge, Upper Mississippi River and Galveston Causeway Bridge, Gulf 

Intracoastal Waterway. On average, these four bridges sustain over 50 

allisions per year, which is approximately 10% of the total bridge allisions occurring on the Nation’s navigable waterways. The alteration of 

these unreasonably obstructive bridges will greatly improve the safety 

and efficiency of navigation on the Nation’s waterways by significantly 

reducing bridge allisions, reducing fatalities and vessel and bridge damage associated with bridge allisions, reducing vessel bridge transit time, 

and minimizing the potentially significant environmental damage resulting from bridge allisions.
FY 2009 U.S. Coast Guard Performance Report • 39

Aids To Navigation

FY 2009 Performance Results 

The Coast Guard met the majority of its Aids to Navigation Mission FY 2009 performance targets. Historically, 

60 percent of all collisions, allisions, and groundings (CAGs) occur in U.S. Inland waters and Gulf Coast ports. The 

Coast Guard’s Waterways Management program overseeing this mission has undertaken a variety of initiatives in 

these areas and nationwide to reduce CAG risks and occurrences to improve MTS safety and efficiency. These efforts 

include improvements in bridge clearances to prevent disruptions to marine and surface transportation, navigation 

safety risk assessments to identify factors that influence CAGs, and contingency planning for marine transportation 

during extreme conditions.

The Coast Guard uses the combined number of reportable collisions, allisions (vessels striking fixed objects), and 

groundings as an indicator of disruptions to maritime commerce and the 5-year average of these as an indicator of 

the long-term trend. 

5-year Average Number of Collisions, Allisions, and Groundings

The Coast Guard also measures the hours short range Aids to Navigation are available based on an internationally 

recognized standard established by the International Association of Marine Aids to Navigation and Lighthouse 

Authorities. A short range Aid to Navigation is counted as not being available from the initial time a discrepancy is 

reported until the time the discrepancy is corrected. 

Federal Short-Range Aids to Navigation Availability

The Coast Guard operates 12 Vessel Traffic Services (VTS) in U.S. ports, 

monitoring and managing the movement of vessel traffic to prevent 

accidents. VTSs are extensions of a vessel’s bridge team—providing 

information that the pilot, master or vessel operator may use in making 

critical navigation decisions. Each year, VTSs monitor over one million 

vessel transits in VTS equipped ports. Qualifying as a VTS watch stander 

involves a rigorous training process, which involves nationally mandated 

training, local familiarization, and on the job training. In FY 2009, the 

Coast Guard disseminated the first VTS National Standard Operating 

Procedures, which standardizes VTS operations and training and the 

interaction between VTS and commercial vessels—many of which 

routinely operate in multiple VTS equipped ports. 
FY 2009 U.S. Coast Guard Performance Report • 40 

Ice Operations

Ice Operations

The Coast Guard’s Ice 

Operations mission 

directly enhances the 

safety of domestic and 

international maritime 

transportation. Coast 

Guard domestic icebreakers, in coordination 

with the Canadian Coast 

Guard, keep critical 

Great Lakes and Northeastern U.S. waterways 

open for commercial 

traffic, assist vessels 

transiting icefilled 

waterways, free vessels 

beset in ice, and break 

ice dams to prevent ice 

related flooding. The 

International Ice Patrol 

facilitates international commerce by broadcasting 

information on iceberg locations 

to vessels transiting the North 

Atlantic between North America 

and Europe.

FY 2009 Performance Highlights 

• The Coast Guard, with 

Canadian Coast Guard and 

marine industry support, 

conducted three major 

domestic icebreaking operations, assisting over 479 vessel transits and facilitating the shipment of over $600 

million of raw materials (iron-ore, coal, limestone, etc) vital for U.S. manufacturing, electric power production, 

and construction.

• Coast Guard icebreakers prevented ice related flooding in Fairport, Ohio and Grand Haven, Michigan. The 

Coast Guard also responded to winter flooding in Fargo, North Dakota, and assisted in rescuing over 100 

people stranded on an ice floe on Western Lake Erie near Oak Harbor, Ohio. 

• Coast Guard icebreakers facilitated the shipment of vital heating oil and prevented flooding by breaking ice in 

Maine’s Kennebec and Penobscot Rivers and New York’s Hudson River.

• Coast Guard Cutter HEALY continued to support the U.S. Extended Continental Shelf Task Force by 

conducting seafloor mapping and data collection missions.

• Coast Guard Cutter POLAR SEA participated in two Arctic West science missions, including studies on polar 

bears and methane gas. POLAR SEA also provided back-up capability for the U.S. Antarctic Deep Freeze 

resupply mission. 

• The United States Coast Guard International Ice Patrol tracked over 1,200 icebergs which drifted into the 

transatlantic shipping lanes continuing its perfect record, 96 years, of preventing ship collisions with icebergs.

The United States Coast Guard International Ice Patrol had one of the busiest years 

in its history tracking over 1,200 icebergs which drifted into the transatlantic shipping 

lanes. It also participated in partnering with the scientific community and other Federal 

agencies, such as NOAA, to collect ice information in the Arctic. Ocean drifting buoys 

have been used for research and data collection in the north Atlantic for years. The 

buoy was deployed for the first time in the Arctic with the help of personnel from the 

Coast Guard International Ice Patrol. Coast Guard Cutter HEALY, participating in the 

Joint United States-Canada Extended Continental Shelf (ECS) mapping mission, is 

also supporting the deployment of additional ocean drifters, seasonal ice buoys, and 

ice beacons for the United States Interagency Arctic Buoy Program.
FY 2009 U.S. Coast Guard Performance Report • 41

Ice Operations

FY 2009 Performance Results 

The Coast Guard met its performance target by keeping open the six critical waterways necessary for conducting

maritime commerce through the St. Lawrence Seaway, the Great Lakes, and the U.S. Inland River system. The

Coast Guard will continue to work with its partners to improve service delivery and achieve additional domestic

icebreaking efficiencies.

Number of Days Critical Waterways are Closed Due to Ice

Coast Guard Cutter HEALY spent the summer underway in the Beaufort Sea and the Arctic Ocean. During the Arctic West Summer 2009 

(AWS09) mission, several types of hydrographic moorings were deployed and recovered, including whale monitoring devices. HEALY 

participated in a joint effort with the Canadian Coast Guard Cutter Louis S. St-Laurent to map the floor of the Arctic Ocean, helping 

to create a more complete picture of its topographical features. Earlier in the year, the HEALY supported research at one to three science 

stations a day, usually consisting of a CTD (conductivity, temperature and depth measuring equipment used to take samples of the water 

at different depths), different types of optic packages (measures light quality and quantity at different depths), sampling of the ocean 

bottom to analyze the content and life in the sediment, and ice coring and sediment sampling. HEALY also conducted multiple flight 

operations each day to support the walrus and spectacled eiders surveys, and to provide information for a better understanding of the 

ice coverage.
FY 2009 U.S. Coast Guard Performance Report • 42

KODIAK, Alaska – A Kodiak-based 

rescue swimmer, Petty Officer 2nd 

Class Steve Fischer, helps a stranded 

mariner into a rescue basket in Prince 

William Sound. The MH-60 Jayhawk 

helicopter picked up the mariner and 

transported him to Whittier where 

he was turned over to an awaiting 

ambulance and treated for mild 

hypothermia.

Ice Operations
“The Guardian Ethos”

I am America’s Maritime Guardian.

I serve the citizens of the United States.

I will protect them.

I will defend them.

I will save them.

I am their Shield.

For them I am Semper Paratus.

I live the Coast Guard Core Values.

I am a Guardian.

We are the United States Coast Guard.
If you have any questions or concerns regarding this publication, please

contact the Coast Guard Office of Performance Management and Assessment (CG-512)

at 202-372-1340 or via e-mail at CG512@uscg.mil.

For information about joining the Coast Guard or Coast Guard Reserve 

call 1-877-NOW-USCG or visit www.gocoastguard.com