The U.S. Coast Guard cutter Harriet Lane conducts a February 2024 patrol for Operation Blue Pacific, which included combating illegal fishing with local partners. SENIOR CHIEF PETTY OFFICER CHARLY TAUTFEST/U.S. COAST GUARD

The Indo-Pacific Defense Forum reports,

The United States Coast Guard has increased its international engagements throughout the Pacific in recent years. Through initiatives such as the Pacific Area Campaign Plan, the Coast Guard plays a pivotal role in advancing the White House’s Indo-Pacific Strategy and the National Maritime Domain Awareness Plan. Such efforts align with the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent, the long-term vision for the region developed by the 18-member Pacific Islands Forum.

Harnessing regional expertise and understanding the advantages of coordinated responses to environmental threats and illegal fishing, the Coast Guard established two key centers of expertise in Honolulu, Hawaii, in October 2023. The Indo-Pacific Marine Environmental Response Regional Activities Center (MER-RAC) and the Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fisheries Center of Expertise (IUUF COE) bring together Coast Guard specialists and international partners to share best practices, facilitate expert exchanges and develop collaborative strategies for addressing transnational issues.