Saving the Islands: The USCG’s role in rescuing the Marshall Islands

Rising sea levels and residual radiation put the Marshall Islands, along with other Pacific islands, in a precarious situation. Since the U.S. is responsible for the nuclear testing contamination plaguing the sea around the Marshall Islands, it is only fitting that the U.S. continue to provide aid to find an appropriate solution. The Department of Energy and U.S. Coast Guard should partner to ensure that the fish harvested in the expansive waters around these islands are tested for nuclear contaminants. While monitoring on a large scale will be difficult, samples should be taken periodically from the areas where subsistence fishing is most common. Thanks to advances in vessel monitoring systems (VMS), many fishing vessels have been outfitted with devices that allow monitoring from afar. To help combat rising sea levels, the Coast Guard should ensure compliance with international emissions regulations and enact port state control measures on vessels that fail to meet the minimum emissions standards. The Marshall Islanders are calling out to the international political arena for help. Utilizing the expertise of its Coast Guard, the United States has an ethical obligation to answer that call.

• Record URL:
  https://www.dco.uscg.mil/Portals/9/DCO%20Documents/Proceedings%20Magazine/Archive/2018/Vol75_No1_Spring2018.pdf?ver=2018-03-08-164356-243
• 
• Authors:
  • Saunders, Kevin
  • Stiehl, Tanner
• Publication Date: 2018

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Features: Photos; References;
• Pagination: pp 94-97
• Serial:
  • Coast Guard Journal of Safety & Security at Sea, Proceedings of the Marine Safety & Security Council
  • Volume: 75
  • Issue Number: 1
  • Publisher: U.S. Coast Guard
  • Serial URL: http://www.uscg.mil/proceedings/

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Climate change; Environmental protection; Exhaust gases; Fishing; Fishing vessels; Monitoring; Nuclear radiation; Nuclear tests; Sea level
• Identifier Terms: U.S. Department of Energy; United States Coast Guard
• Geographic Terms: Marshall Islands
• Subject Areas: Environment; Marine Transportation; Security and Emergencies;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01677303
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Aug 1 2018 9:24AM