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Acoast guard orcoastguard is amaritime security organization of a particular country. The term embraces wide range of responsibilities in different countries, from being a heavily armedmilitary force withcustoms and security duties to being a volunteer organization tasked withsearch and rescue without law enforcement authority. In most countries, a typical coast guard's functions are distinct from those of thenavy (amilitary service) and thetransit police (alaw enforcement agency), while in certain countries they have similarities to both.
The predecessor of Britain's modernHM Coastguard was established in 1809 as theWaterguard, a department of theHM Customs and Excise authority, which was originally devoted to the prevention ofsmuggling. At the time, due to high UK taxation on liquors such as brandy, as well as tobacco and other luxuries, smuggling of such cargos from places such as France, Belgium, and Holland was an attractive proposition for criminals. The barrels of brandy and othercontraband were landed from the ships on England's beaches at night in small boats and later sold for profit, as later depicted in theDoctor Syn series of books byRussell Thorndike. The Coastguard was also responsible for giving assistance toshipwrecks.
Each Waterguard station was issued with aManby mortar, which had been invented by CaptainGeorge William Manby in 1808. The mortar fired a shot with a line attached from the shore to the wrecked ship and was used for many years. This was the origin of the Coastguard's life saving role. In 1821 a committee of inquiry recommended that responsibility for the Preventative Waterguard be transferred to the Board of Customs. TheTreasury agreed and (in a memorandum dated 15 January 1822) directed that the preventative services, which consisted of thePreventative Water Guard, cruisers, andriding officers should be placed under the authority of the Board of Customs and in future should be named the "Coastguard". In 1845 the Coastguard was subordinated to theAdmiralty.[1]
In 1829 the first UK Coastguard instructions were published and dealt with discipline and directions for carrying out preventative duties. They also stipulated that, when a ship was wrecked, the Coastguard was responsible for taking all possible action to save lives, to take charge of the vessel and to protect property.[2]
In the United States, theUnited States Coast Guard was created in 1915 by the merger of two other federal agencies. The first, theUnited States Revenue Cutter Service, founded in 1790 and known until 1894 as the United States Revenue-Marine, was a maritime customs enforcement agency that also assumed a supporting role to theUnited States Navy in wartime. The second, theUnited States Life-Saving Service, was formed in 1848 and consisted of life saving crews stationed at points along theUnited States East Coast. The Coast Guard later absorbed theUnited States Lighthouse Service in 1939 and the functions of theBureau of Navigation and Steamboat Inspection via a two-step process in 1942 and 1946.
Among the responsibilities that may be entrusted to a coast guard service are:
During wartime, some national coast guard organisations might have a role as a naval reserve force with responsibilities in harbor defenses,port security, navalcounter-intelligence and coastal patrols.[citation needed]
The coast guard may, varying by jurisdiction, be abranch of a country'smilitary, a law enforcement agency, or a search and rescue body. For example, theUnited States Coast Guard is a specialized military branch with law enforcement authority, whereas theUnited Kingdom'sHis Majesty's Coastguard (HMCG) is a civilian organisation whose primary role is search and rescue.[3] Most coast guards operateships andaircraft includinghelicopters andseaplanes that are either owned or leased by the agency in order to fulfil their respective roles.
Some coast guards, such as theIrish Coast Guard, have only a very limited law enforcement role, usually in enforcing maritime safety law, such as by inspecting ships docked in their jurisdiction.[4] In cases where the coast guard is primarily concerned withcoordinating rather than executing rescue operations,lifeboats are often provided by civilian voluntary organisations, such as theRoyal National Lifeboat Institution in theUnited Kingdom and Ireland, whilst aircraft may be provided by the countries'armed forces, such as the search and rescueSea Kings formerly operated by theRoyal Air Force andRoyal Navy, in addition to any of the HMCG's own helicopters.
Beginning in 1964 with the United States Coast Guard, many coast guards around the world have adopted high visibility color schemes to differentiate their coast guard vessels from the vessels of their respective navies. A frequent element is a high contrast "racing stripe" on the outer hull. While no international agreement exists to adopt it as a uniform marking, the 2009/2010 edition ofJane's Fighting Ships showed 61 nations had adopted some form of this stripe pattern for their coastal patrol and rescue vessels.
The following lists a selected number of coast guards around the world, illustrating the varied roles they play in the respective governments and the countries they operate in:
TheArgentine Naval Prefecture, in SpanishPrefectura Naval Argentina or PNA, is a service of the Argentine Republic's Security Ministry charged with protecting the country's rivers, lakes and maritime territory. It therefore fulfills the functions of other countries' coast guards, and furthermore acts as agendarmerie force policing navigable rivers and lakes. They belonged to the Ministry of Defence until the 1980s, and the corps' highest official was a Navy rear-admiral. They have since been transferred to the Ministry of Interior and, more recently, to the newly created Ministry of Security. However, in the case of armed conflict, they can be put under the Navy's command.
Responsibilities for traditional coast guard duties in Australia are distributed across various federal, state and community volunteer agencies.
Each State Government also has agencies with coast guard responsibilities. For example, in Queensland,Maritime Safety Queensland is responsible for maritime safety and theQueensland Police Service has awater police unit for law enforcement along the coastline, in waterways, and for Queensland islands.
In addition, there are several private volunteer coast guard organizations, the two largest organizations being theRoyal Volunteer Coastal Patrol (established in 1937) and theAustralian Volunteer Coast Guard (established in 1961). These volunteer organizations have no law enforcement powers, and are essentially auxiliary Search and Rescue services. In NSW these two organisations have joined to become Marine Rescue New South Wales (MRNSW) in 2009.
TheBangladesh Coast Guard (Bengali transliteration: বাংলাদেশ কোস্ট গার্ড; translated fromEnglish:বাংলাদেশ উপকূল রক্ষক);BCG is the maritime law enforcement force ofBangladesh. It is a paramilitary force which is under the jurisdiction of theMinistry of Home Affairs. Its officers are transferred from theBangladesh Navy. The Bangladesh Coast Guard also performs the duty of maritime border security of Bangladesh. The headquarters is located inDhaka, Bangladesh. Currently the coast guard has 3,339 personnel[5]
TheBelize Coast Guard (BCG) mission includes maritime safety, maritime security, marineresources protection, maintaining sovereignty over Belize sea space, and naval defence of Belize.[6]
Coast Guard men and women are deployed around the clock patrolling the internal waters and territorial seas. On the northern frontier, their joint operating base at Consejo protects the local economy from the negative impacts of illegal contraband and acts as the northern cut off for drug trafficking. On their southern boundary they stand guard at the Sarstoon river ensuring sovereignty and territorial integrity of Belize. They stand ready for anything (Utrinque Paratus ).[7]
The Coast Guard Service coordinates its activities with theBelize Defence Force and theBelize Police Department.[8]
Having 18 kilometres of coastline only, Bosnia and Herzegovina does not have a force dedicated to defend its coast. The duty of patrolling its coastline falls to theГранична_полиција_Босне_и_Херцеговине [sr] (English:Border Police).
In addition to the roles of a traditional navy, theBrazilian Navy also carries out the role of organizing the merchant navy and other operational safety missions traditionally conducted by a coast guard. Other roles include: Conducting national maritime policy, and implementing and enforcing laws and regulations with respect to the sea and inland waters.
The Canadian Coast Guard (CCG) is a civilian service under theDepartment of National Defence responsible for patrolling the world's longest coastline of 243,042 km (~151,000 mi).[9]
The CCG holds responsibility for all marine search and rescue throughout Canada. The CCG coordinates search and rescue operations with theCanadian Armed Forces,Royal Canadian Mounted Police, and other organizations. The CCG maintains and operates seamarks, coastal light stations, vessel traffic services, marine pollution response services, marine communications systems, and provides icebreaking services. The CCG also operates all Federal scientific research and hydrographic survey vessels. To accomplish these tasks, the CCG has a sizable fleet of vessels and aircraft, all serviced from various bases and smaller stations located on three coasts (Atlantic,Arctic,Pacific) and theGreat Lakes andSt. Lawrence River.[10]
TheCanadian Coast Guard Academy is located nearSydney, Nova Scotia.
TheChina Coast Guard (CCG) (Chinese:中国海警) serves as a coordinating body for maritime search and rescue in the territorial waters of the People's Republic of China. It was formed on 2013 as an amalgamation of four agencies: the Public Security Border Troops under theMinistry of Public Security,China Maritime Safety Administration,China Marine Surveillance, andChina Fisheries Law Enforcement Command.[11][12] In March 2018, it was placed under the leadership of thePeople's Armed Police, which is under the direct command of theCentral Military Commission (CMC).[13]
In Hong Kong, law enforcement duties are carried out by theMarine Region of theHong Kong Police Force and theCustoms and Excise Department (Ports and Maritime Command of the Boundary and Ports Branch). TheHong Kong Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centre (HKMRCC) co-ordinates search and rescue vessels, aircraft and other resources of theFire Services Department,Government Flying Service,Marine Department and the Marine Police.
InMacau, coast guard responsibilities fall under the purview of theMacau Customs Service, which is in charge of conducting CG duties.[14]
TheMarine and Water Bureau, which is under theSecretariat for Transport and Public Works (Macau), helps in coordinating search and rescue operations in the region. It's done via the Search and Rescue Coordination Centre, formed under the Vessel Traffic Control Centre of Macao (Macao VTS).
The Croatian Coast Guard (Croatian:Obalna straža Republike Hrvatske) is a division of theCroatian Navy responsible for protecting the interests of theRepublic of Croatia atsea. The Croatian Navy is composed of classical naval forces structured into aflotilla and theCoast Guard that solely consists of ships with peacetime duties, e.g. protection ofecology,fishing, control oftankers,ballast waters, combat againstterrorism,trafficking of people,narcotics, and similar.[15]
On September 13, 2007, the Croatian Parliament passed a bill establishing the Croatian Coast Guard. The Coast Guard's mission is protect sovereign rights and carry out Croatia's jurisdiction in theEcological and Fisheries Protection Zone, thecontinental shelf and thehigh seas. The Coast Guard will also monitor vessels sailing in the Croatianterritorial waters. If vessels are caught violating Croatian or international regulations and disregard warnings by the Coast Guard, Coast Guard ships and airplanes are authorized to pursue them and if necessary open fire, while taking care not to jeopardize the lives of the vessel's crew.
Under the law, the commander of the Coast Guard is a Navy officer who is appointed and relieved of duty by thepresident of the republic at the government's proposal.[16]
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TheCyprus Port and Marine Police (GreekΛιμενική και Ναυτική Αστυνομία –Limeniki kai Nautiki Astinomia) fulfills the functions of other countries' coast guards for theRepublic of Cyprus. Cyprus is anisland country in theEastern Mediterranean with about 1/3 of the island is under control ofTurkish Republic of Northern Cyprus after1974 Cypriot coup d'état and followingTurkish military Invasion based onTreaty of Guarantee (1960). Due to the country'sgeopolitical situation, size, the recent discovery in 2011 of theAphrodite gas field in itsExclusive Economic Zone andCyprus Police being the main nationalLaw enforcement agency, the duties and responsibilities of the Cyprus Port and Marine Police are many and sometimes complex. It is a unit of the Cyprus Police, which resides under theMinistry of Justice and Public Order (Cyprus). However it can support theCyprus Navy in wartime which resides under the Ministry of Defence. It is staffed byPolice Officers which can be transferred to and from other units and agencies of the Cyprus Police and are tasked with the primary mission of policing the country's sea borders and thelaw enforcement of the waters around it. The unit is equipped with patrol boats and radars but it does not operate its own helicopters. Instead, it operates in combination with the aerial unit of the Cyprus Police, theCyprus Police Aviation Unit. Main roles include law enforcement against illicit activities such assmuggling (due to the fact that although theCustoms and Excise Department is a separate agency under the Ministry of Finance, it does not have an operational or tactical team of its own),terrorism,piracy, illegalfishing,Illegal drug trade,illegal immigration and is also assigned withsearch and rescue (SAR) duties. Forcounter-terrorism and anti-piracy operations, the units operate in combination with the Special Anti-Terrorist Squad which is part of theEmergency Response Unit of the Cyprus Police. Although the prominent agencies responsible for all Search and Rescue operations are conducted by Cyprus Police Units, the agency responsible to organize the SAR system, to co-ordinate, to control and direct SAR operations in the region that the Republic of Cyprus is responsible for (which coincides with the NicosiaFIR) is theCyprus Joint Rescue Coordination Center or JRCC Larnaca, which is an independent agency of the Ministry of Defence.
TheDjiboutian Coast Guard, part of theDjiboutian Armed Forces, is ahumanitarian and security service. It protects Djibouti's borders and economic and security interests and defends itsterritorial waters and itsExclusive Economic Zone.
TheEgyptian Coast Guard, part of theEgyptian Navy, is responsible for the onshore protection of public installations near the coast and the patrol of coastal waters to prevent smuggling.
In theFrench Republic,Affaires maritimes is the closest organization to a coast guard. In each region, a naval admiral, calledMaritime Prefect, is in charge of coordination of all state services for action at sea by theNavy, theAffaires maritimes, theMaritime Gendarmerie and theCoastguard Service of the French Customs. A charity,Société Nationale de Sauvetage en Mer, provides most life saving duties at the local level.
The Georgian Coast Guard is the maritime arm of theGeorgian Border Police, within the Ministry for Internal Affairs. It is responsible for the maritime protection of the entire 310 km (190 mi) coastline of Georgia, as well as the Georgianterritorial waters. The primary missions of the service are administration of the territorial waters, marine pollution protection, maritime law enforcement, search and rescue, port security and maritime defense. The former Georgian Navy was absorbed into the Coast Guard in 2009.
The headquarters and a principal Coast Guard base are located at theBlack Sea port ofPoti. A second smaller base is inBatumi,Adjaria. Besides the Poti-based force, the Coast Guard also includes a special counter-terrorist Detachment. Maritime surveillance radar stations are maintained atAnaklia, Poti,Supsa,Chakvi, andGonio, providing coverage of all territorial seas.
TheGerman Federal Coast Guard, known as theKüstenwache, is both a civilian service and a law enforcement organisation, staffed with both police officers and certain civilians from the various German federal agencies associated with maritime administration with responsibility for the coordination of all law enforcement activities within its jurisdiction in the Federal Republic of Germany.[17]
TheHellenic Coast Guard (Greek:Λιμενικό Σώμα-Ελληνική Ακτοφυλακή,romanized: Limeniko Soma-Elliniki Aktofylaki,lit. 'Harbor Corps-Hellenic Coast Guard') is the national coast guard of theRepublic of Greece. It is a paramilitary organization that can support theHellenic Navy in wartime, but resides under separate civilian control in times of peace. It was founded in 1919 by an Act of Parliament and the legal framework for its function was reformed in 1927.
TheRoyal Grenada Coast Guard is the maritime security unit of theRoyal Grenada Police Force. Operating a small fleet of high speed patrol boats, it's remit includes general patrol and protection of territorial waters, search and rescue, and drug interdiction.
TheHaitian Coast Guard is an operational unit of theHaitian National Police. It is one of the few law enforcement organisations in the world to combine water policing and coast guard duties while remaining as a policing unit. It operates primarily as a law enforcement agency, with secondary responsibilities in search and rescue.
TheIcelandic Coast Guard has primarily been alaw enforcement organisation, but is also in charge ofnational defences. It has also been involved with the Republic of Iceland's contributions to expeditionary operations and conductedmilitary exercises: for example, OperationEnduring Freedom andNorthern Challenge.[18]
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TheIndian Coast Guard (ICG) is under theMinistry of Defence. It has responsibility for search and rescue, enforcing the maritime law of anti-smuggling, immigration and shipping regulations and protecting the country's maritime and offshore resources. With 78 plus aircraft and drones, 182 plus vessels and ships, the Indian Coast Guard defends one of the longest coastlines of the Indian Ocean region.[19]
The IranianNEDSA controls the south entry point. TheBorder Guard Command Marinefaraja sea [fa] also performs maritime duties in the north alongside theIranian Navy.[20][21]
Maritime Law Enforcement in Indonesia is conducted by multiple government agencies, including theIndonesian Navy,Indonesian Maritime Security Agency,Indonesian Sea and Coast Guard,Directorate General of Marine and Fisheries Resources Surveillance, andNational Police Water Unit.[22] There has been plans to amalgamate these different maritime law enforcement agencies to become a singular national 'sea and coast guard agency'. In March 2022, the government issue regulation on Governance of Maritime Security, Safety and Law Enforcement at Indonesia's Territorial Water and Jurisdiction and designate Maritime Security Agency as coordinating body for all maritime law enforcement agencies.[23]
The Irish Coast Guard (IRCG) makes up one arm of the Maritime Safety Services, the other being the Maritime Safety Directorate. Both arms are due to merge into a new "one stop shop" agency for all maritime safety matters.
The purpose of the Irish Coast Guard is:
To reduce the loss of life within the Irish Search and Rescue Region and on rivers, lakes and waterways and to protect the quality of the marine environment within the Irish Pollution Responsibility Zone, Harbours and Maritime Local Authority areas and to preserve property.To promote safety standards, and by doing so, prevent, as far as possible, the loss of life at sea and on inland waters and other areas, and to provide an effective emergency response service.
The Isle of Man is aCrown dependency in theIrish Sea between Ireland and the United Kingdom. It is not part of the United Kingdom, but historically relied upon the UK Coastguard. However, the UK Coastguard withdrew in 1988, and theIsle of Man Government formed its own Coastguard in 1989. Its key functions are coastal patrol, pollution control, and shore-based search and rescue. It also co-operates with other agencies as part of the Isle of Man Inland Search and Rescue Group. It maintains the Isle of Man's Marine Operations Centre (control room), but it has no aircraft, and contracts air-sea rescue to the UK Coastguard.
In theRepublic of Italy, theGuardia Costiera is part of theItalian Navy under theMinistry of Infrastructure and Transport. They have responsibility for enforcement of shipping and maritime safety regulations, as well as performing search and rescue duties[24]
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InJapan, theJapan Coast Guard is under the oversight of theMinistry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, and is responsible for the protection of the coast-lines and islands of Japan.
The Island of Jersey Coastguard is the coastguard service of the Government of Jersey, an independent Crown dependency located near to northern France. Its main responsibilities are safety at sea, maritime security and law enforcement, search and rescue services (with partner agencies), and protection of the marine environment. "Channel Islands AirSearch" works with the Coastguard service on search and rescue operations, and therefore the Coastguard does not maintain its own aircraft.
The Kenya Coast Guard Service is a specialized maritime force of theRepublic of Kenya, responsible for law enforcement on national waters, including on the oceans, lakes and rivers. The force is mandated to maintain maritime safety, security, pollution control and sanitation. It is also responsible for apprehending and prosecuting offenders.
TheKorea Coast Guard (Korean:해양경찰청;Hanja: 海洋警察廳,Revised Romanization: Haeyang-gyeongchal-cheong, Maritime Police Agency) is responsible for maritime safety and control off the coast of the Republic of Korea/South Korea. The KCG is an external branch of the R.O.K.'s Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries during peacetime.
TheLibyan Coast Guard, part of theLibyan Navy, is responsible for the onshore protection of public installations near the coast and the patrol of coastal waters to prevent smuggling.
InMalaysia, theMalaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency is part of the Malaysian Coast Guard and is under theMinistry of Home Affairs.
The agency is headed by adirector general who is appointed by theYang Di Pertuan Agong on the advice of theprime minister while other personnel are appointed by thePublic Services Commission.
In times ofwar, crisis or emergency, the agency may be placed under the command of theMalaysian Armed Forces. It was formed to combat the rise ofpiracy in the Strait of Malacca. Personnel often work very closely with theRoyal Malaysian Navy andRoyal Malaysian Air Force. The agency utilizes its resources in a maritime law enforcement and search and rescue capacity.[25]
The Maritime Search and Rescue (Búsqueda y Rescate Marítimo) is a coast guard-type unit of theMexican Navy. Its primary mission is search and rescue operations within 50 miles (80 km) of the Mexican coastline.
The Kingdom of The Netherlands Coastguard (Dutch:Kustwacht Nederland) is a national organization responsible for various services along The Netherlands' ocean coastline (mainly search and rescue services).
The Dutch Caribbean Coastguard (Dutch:Kustwacht Caraïbisch Gebied) is the coast guard of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in the Caribbean, providing search & rescue, and maritime law enforcement inAruba,Curaçao,Sint Maarten,Bonaire,Sint Eustatius andSaba.
TheRoyal New Zealand Coastguard is a civilian volunteer charitable organisation,[26] providing search and rescue services to coastal waterways and some lakes inNew Zealand. Smaller incidents are coordinated by theNew Zealand Police, who may call on the services and resources of the coastguard. Larger incidents are managed by the Rescue Coordination Centre New Zealand (RCCNZ), with support from theRoyal New Zealand Defence Force.[27]
TheRoyal Norwegian Coast Guard, or Kystvakten in Norwegian, is a part of theRoyal Norwegian Navy, but has separate vessels, many of which are purpose-built. Coast guard vessels have the prefix KV. Four of these vessels are capable of embarking one or more helicopters. Norway's exclusive economic zone, the Coast Guard's area of responsibility, is about 2.2 million square kilometers, one of the largest in Europe.
InPakistan, there are two agencies operating on the coast:
The MSA is a military force operated by the Navy under the direction of Ministry of Defence. It is responsible for the strategic security of Pakistan's coastlines, as well as law enforcement within the country'sexclusive economic zone. The Pakistani Coast Guard is placed under the Pakistan Army and has responsibilities for conductingriverine operations, protecting coastal areas and shores of Karachi.
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In theRepublic of the Philippines, thePhilippine Coast Guard (PCG) is a maritime law enforcement agency operating under theDepartment of Transportation of the Republic of the Philippines government. It is tasked with the broader enforcement of maritime laws, especially againstsmuggling,illegal fishing,drug trafficking, andpiracy. It patrols the country's 36,289-kilometer coastline and hundreds of islands, and is also involved in maritimesearch and rescue (SAR) missions, as well as the protection of the marine environment.[28] ThePhilippine Coast Guard also serves as an attached service of theArmed Forces of the Philippines in wartime.
InPoland, the law enforcement coast guard role is performed by the Maritime Branch of the Polish Border Guard (Morski Oddział Straży Granicznej). It is part of thePolish Border Guard.Search and Rescue (SAR) role of coast guard is performed by Maritime Search and Rescue Service (Morska Służba Poszukiwania i Ratownictwa). Recently[when?], government published plans to integrate Maritime SAR Service withinMaritime Authorities (the two remaining local offices:Maritime Office in Gdynia andMaritime Office in Szczecin), as supposedly efficiency and cost improving measures (already disbanded Maritime Office in Slupsk and split operational area between remaining two Offices). Operational structure (SAR assets, etc.) shall remain mostly unchanged, moving only administrative duties to Maritime Authorities' two local offices.
InPortugal, the coast guard role is performed by several government agencies that, together, form the Maritime Authority System (Sistema de Autoridade Marítima or SAM). The SAM includes thePortuguese Navy, theNational Republican Guard (GNR), thePortuguese Air Force, theBorder and Immigration Service (SEF), the Civil Protection Authority, the National Medical Emergency Institute and theCriminal Investigation Police (PJ).
The National Maritime Authority (Autoridade Marítima Nacional or AMN) is the branch of the Portuguese Navy responsible for its coast guard role. The function of AMN is performed by the Chief of Staff of the Navy himself, supported in this role by the Directorate of the Maritime Authority, which includes the Maritime Police, the Lifeguard Institute, the Lighthouse Department and the severalharbourmasters. Besides the specific assets of the Directorate of Maritime Authority entirely dedicated to the coast guard role, the AMN also has at its disposal the other Portuguese Navy's assets that can be used both for military and public service missions.
The vessels operated within the SAM include the Maritime Police patrol boats, the Lifeguard Institute lifeboats, the harbourmasters harbour boats, the GNR Coastal Control Unit' surveillance boats and the Portuguese Navy's naval ships. The aircraft operated within the SAM include fixed-wing aircraft from the Portuguese Air Force and helicopters from the Navy, the Air Force and the Civil Protection Authority.
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Russia's Coast Guard (Береговая охрана России) operates under the auspices of theBorder Guard Service of Russia (itself a branch of theFSB Federal Security Service). Its remit encompasses the twelve-mile limit of all Russian territorial and coastal waters and, being equipped with frigates, corvettes, fast patrol boats, hydrofoils, helicopters, and light aircraft, it has considerable combat capability on behalf of the continent-wideborder guard of the Russian Federation.
For inland waters operations Russia has theNational Guard Naval Service Corps, established in 1978, while inland waters SAR operations are also under the purview of theMinistry of Emergency Situations.
InSingapore, thePolice Coast Guard (PCG) is an operational department of theSingapore Police Force. Functions of the coast guard were transferred from the Republic of Singapore Navy to what was then the Marine Police in February 1993.[29] The Marine Police was thus restructured and renamed as the Police Coast Guard, one of the fewlaw enforcement organizations in the world to combine water policing and coast guard duties while remaining as a policing unit. It operates primarily as a law enforcement agency, with secondary responsibilities in search and rescue.[30]
South Africa does not have a dedicated coast guard service in its military; the South African Navy handles coast guard-like duties. In 2017 it was reported that South Africa was looking into establishing a coast guard.[31]
The Kingdom of Spain operates several coast guard agencies.
TheSociedad de Salvamento y Seguridad Marítima, also known asSalvamento Marítimo, or by its acronym SASEMAR, is the body in charge of maritime traffic control, safety and rescue operations, as well as protection of the maritime environment, but lacks any law enforcement responsibilities. The agency runs 20 rescue coordination centres (RCC), employs a staff of 1500 and operates a fleet of 19 vessels, 54 boats, 11 helicopters and 3 airplanes.
Border protection functions in the Kingdom of Spain are carried out by the Civil Guard (Servicio Marítimo de la Guardia Civil), with a staff of 1100 and a fleet of 67 patrol vessels and speedboats. Maritime customs functions are the responsibility of theServicio de Vigilancia Aduanera with 13 aircraft and a surface fleet of 2 high seas cutters; 18 high speed patrol vessels; and 21 medium-sized and smaller patrol vessels.
Salvamento Marítimo operates in the four international SAR areas assigned to Spain: Atlántico, Canarias, Estrecho and Mediterráneo, covering a combined extension of 1.5 million square kilometers. During a maritime emergency, Salvamento Marítimo is responsible for the coordination of other possible responders, like theSpanish Navy or theServicio Aéreo de Rescate,[32] that comprises squadrons 801, 802 and 803 of theSpanish Air Force. Coordination on land, sea and air are made with theNorth Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), and cooperativeEuropean Union
Theautonomous community ofGalicia has its own separate coast guard service, theServizo de Gardacostas de Galicia or simplyGardacostas de Galicia. It is theGalician Government agency responsible for coastal and fisheries surveillance; maritime search and rescue; and protection of the sea environment. TheGardacostas de Galicia operates a fleet of more than 20 vessels and two helicopters, from the bases ofViveiro,Ferrol,A Coruña,Muxía,Porto do Son,Ribeira,Vilagarcía de Arousa,Pontevedra andVigo.
TheGardacostas de Galicia was created in 2004, by the amalgamation of the formerServizo de Vixilancia Pesqueira (Galician Fisheries Surveillance Service) and theServizo de Busca e Salvamento (Galician Search and Rescue Service).
InSri Lanka, until 2009 a Coast Guard Unit existed under the Ministry of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, responsible for fishery and natural resource protection coastal areas. A newDepartment of Coast Guard was created under theDepartment of Coast Guard Bill presented to parliament in 2009. The department would be under the purview of theMinistry of Defense and be staffed by civilian personnel. The department's responsibilities includesearch and rescue,law enforcement within the country'sExclusive economic zone, conducting anti-smuggling and anti-immigration operations, suppression of terrorist activities in territorial waters of Sri Lanka.[33]
TheSwedish Coast Guard (Swedish:Kustbevakningen) is a Swedish civilian government agency with combination of police tasks, border control, maritime rescue and environmental control. Coast Guard officers carries the same equipment to regular Swedish police officers. Tasks:
The Swedish Coast Guard carries out some of its surveillance by air (from its base in Skavsta near Stockholm), and some on ice and snow (from its Luleå station). It also has marine duties on Lake Vänern, Europe's third largest lake, operating out of Vänersborg.
TheCoast Guard Administration is both amilitary and alaw enforcement organization. The CGA is considered a civilian law enforcement agency under the administration of theExecutive Yuan, though during wartime it may be incorporated as part of theROC military. Its primary roles are ensuring the safety and security of territorial waters and coordinating search and rescue efforts.[34]
The CGA includes a Maritime Patrol Directorate General and a Coast Patrol Directorate General. Officers of the Maritime Patrol Directorate General are law enforcement officials, but officers of the Coast Patrol Directorate General are considered soldiers who have partial law-enforcement power.
The Trinidad and Tobago Coast Guard (TTCG) is the maritime division of theTrinidad and Tobago Defence Force. It is within the government portfolio of the Ministry of National Security. The Commanding Officer of the Coast Guard reports to the Chief of Defence Staff. The TTCG is responsible surveillance, search and rescue, fisheries enforcement, pollution enforcement, and counter-narcotics operations for maritime jurisdiction of Trinidad and Tobago.[35]
The Turkish Coast Guard of the Republic of Turkey (Turkish:Sahil Güvenlik Komutanlığı) is a branch of theTurkish Armed Forces and was initially founded in 1859. During peacetime, it is under the command of theMinistry of Interior. However, during war or emergency time, it falls under the command of theTurkish Navy. On July 13, 1982, it was assigned to theTurkish Gendarmerie becoming both a military and a law enforcement service. Finally, the organization obtained its current form on January 1, 1985.[36]
The Coast Guard is responsible for enforcement of Turkish maritime law and controlling of the Republic of Turkey's coasts in the responsibility area. It is also the main search and rescue coordination authority for the Turkish coastal zone. The Coast Guard consists of four area commands, as theBlack Sea, theSea of Marmara and adjacentstraits, theAegean Sea, and theMediterranean Sea.[36]
The Turkish Coast Guard maintains a fleet of coastal patrol ships and small craft, as well as helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft.[37]
Ukrainian Sea Guard is the coast guard service of Ukraine, subordinated to its Border Guard Service, the local successor of the Soviet Border Troops Naval Units that have been similarly responsible for coast guard tasks. However, there were some interchanges in units, ships and personnel between Sea Guard and the Ukrainian Navy. Operates four sea guard detachment; a sea guard cutters division in Mariupol; a special-purpose sea guard cutters division in Yalta; and a riverine Dnieper sea guard cutters division in Kyiv. Sea guard administration is split between the Azov-Black seas regional administration in Simferopol and the Southern regional administration in Odesa.Service persons of the Sea Guard wear either the black uniform similar to Ukrainian Navy, but decorated with some green elements (traditional for border guard), or a common uniform of the Border Guard.
In theUnited Kingdom,His Majesty's Coastguard fulfill six of the nine functions required by the IMO; Search and Rescue, Pollution Response, Vessel Traffic Management, Maritime Safety, Accident and Disaster Response, and Maritime Security. The other three IMO functions; Customs/Border Control, Fisheries Control and Law Enforcement, are undertaken by theUK Border Force,Environment Agency andlocal police forces, respectively. The maintenance ofseamarks is the responsibility ofTrinity House (in England and Wales), theNorthern Lighthouse Board (in Scotland) and theCommissioners of Irish Lights (in Northern Ireland). HM Coastguard is a civilian agency - as the duties traditionally associated with a military coast guard service are spread around theCivil Service andBritish Armed Forces, unlike other coast guard services around the world. It is a Category 1 emergency responder alongside the United Kingdom's regional police, fire, and ambulance services.
Lifeboat services are provided by theRoyal National Lifeboat Institution, or other independent lifeboat stations not affiliated with the RNLI, all under the coordination of the Coastguard. HM Coastguardwet leases commercial helicopters —Sikorsky S-92s andAgustaWestland AW189s — to provide aerial search and rescue cover around Great Britain and Northern Ireland, as well as theUnited Kingdom's emergency towing vessel fleet in areas not served by tug brokers. On the coastline, HM Coastguard maintains a network of cliff and mud rescue teams, comprising around 4,000 volunteers, and can call upon theNational Coastwatch Institution which mans many former Coastguard lookout stations around the coast. It is part of theMaritime and Coastguard Agency, which in itself is anexecutive agency of theDepartment for Transport.
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The Scottish Fisheries Protection Agency (SFPA) is responsible for both deterring illegal fishing in Scottish waters, as well as monitoring the compliance of the fisheries industry in Scotland with the relevant Scottish and European Union laws on fisheries.
Royal Bermuda RegimentThe Bermuda Regiment Coast Guard is responsible for Maritime Law Enforcement and Search & Rescue in Bermudian Territorial waters. BRCG works in partnership with theBermuda Police Service.
Cayman Islands Coast GuardThe Cayman Islands Coast Guard is responsible for Maritime Law Enforcement and Search & Rescue in Caymanian Territorial waters. CICG works in partnership withRoyal Cayman Islands Police Service,Cayman Islands Regiment, Cayman Islands Customs & Border Control, and Cayman Islands Immigration Service.
Formed in 1915 by the merger of theUnited States Revenue Cutter Service (established as the United States Revenue-Marine in 1790 and renamed in 1894) and theUnited States Life-Saving Service (established in 1848), and later absorbing theUnited States Lighthouse Service in 1939 and the functions of theBureau of Marine Inspection and Navigation in 1942 and 1946, the United States Coast Guard (USCG) is amilitary service, alaw enforcement agency, and regulatory agency. It is one of the eightuniformed services of the United States and one of the six services of theUnited States Armed Forces. Its role includes enforcement of U.S. maritime law, coastal defense, search and rescue, environmental protection, aids to navigation, and regulation of maritime industries.[38]
Duringpeacetime the USCG falls under the administration of theUnited States Department of Homeland Security (previously theU.S. Department of Transportation, 1967–2003, and theUnited States Department of the Treasury, 1915–1967). Duringwartime, the USCG may, at the direction of thepresident of the United States, report to theSecretary of the Navy; its resources, however, are integrated into U.S. military operations in wartime (see14 U.S.C. §§ 3–4).
As of 2022[update], the Coast Guard had 40,757 coast guardsmen on active duty, 6,240 reservists, approximately 26,000auxiliarists, and over 7,100 full-time civilian employees.[39] The Coast Guard maintains an extensive fleet of 243 coastal and ocean-going patrol ships, tenders, tugs and icebreakers called "Cutters", and 1650 smaller boats, as well as an extensive aviation division consisting of 201 helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft.[40] While the U.S. Coast Guard is next to the smallest of the U.S. armed service branches, in terms of size, the U.S. Coast Guard is the world's largest coast guard.
USCG helicopters are equipped with hoists to rescue survivors and also play a major role in law enforcement. The helicopters are able to land and take off from USCG cutters, making them an indispensable tool in fighting illegal drug traffic and the influx of undocumented immigrants attempting to illegally enter the country. The fixed-wing aircraft are used for long range search and rescue and law enforcement patrols. A construction and repair shipyard has been maintained since 1899 in theBaltimore Harbor area atCurtis Bay,United States Coast Guard Yard at Curtis Bay, Maryland.
Today's lighthouses on the American coasts are all maintained by the U.S. Coast Guard, from the previous oldU.S. Lighthouse Service. The list of active light houses, lighted beacons, etc. that provide detailed information on aids to navigation with their locations and characteristic signals is currently maintained by the U.S. Coast Guard in itsLight List issued each year.[41][42]
The USCG has a small service academy, equivalent to both theUnited States Military Academy and theUnited States Naval Academy in terms of students earning a 4-year degree and commission upon graduation. TheUnited States Coast Guard Academy is much smaller in size (approx. 1,000 students) and is located atNew London, Connecticut. All enlisted coast guardsmen attendboot camp atCape May, New Jersey.
Several other federal, state and local agencies operate maritime police and security units with law enforcement and search and rescue functions similar to the Coast Guard. Examples include theNew Hampshire Marine Patrol and theU.S. Customs and Border Protection, Air and Marine Operations, along with stateNaval Militia.
In theRepublic of Uruguay, the Coast Guard (Spanish:Prefectura Nacional Naval-PRENA)[43] is a part of theNavy. It is tasked with the broader enforcement of maritime laws, especially against smuggling, illegal fishing, drug trafficking and piracy. It patrols the country's coastline, and is also involved in maritime search and rescue (SAR) missions, as well as the protection of the marine environment.The Uruguayan Coast Guard also frequently patrols coast areas via-foot and on patrol vehicles which they are assigned jurisdictions which are called Subprefecturas. Prefectura is also responsible for the International Port of Montevideo operability.Even though the Uruguayan Coast guard is a Military Organization they frequently help out law enforcement agencies.
It must also maintain the safety of navigation and be a maritime authority on rivers, the Atlantic Ocean, The River Plate and lakes in the jurisdiction of the Navy and intervene in the flagging of vessels.
In 2015, there are plans for the Uruguayan Coast Guard to pass and depend entirely on the Ministry of Interior, meaning it would not be a military unit anymore.[needs update]
Vietnam Coast Guard (VCG;Vietnamese:Cảnh sát biển Việt Nam) is directly under the administration of theVietnamese Government, and it patrols and controls in accordance with the laws of theSocialist Republic of Vietnam and international treaties concerned such as theUnited Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). Besides maritime search and rescue (SAR) missions, Vietnam Coast Guard missions include protection the sovereignty and jurisdiction of the waters of Vietnam; protection of natural resources; prevention of environmental pollution; detection and prevention of acts of smuggling, piracy and illegal transportation and trafficking of illegal narcotics or precursors.
Besides the mentioned "official coast guard", Vietnam also organizes an alternative maritime law enforcement force, which is theVietnam Fisheries Surveillance. While theoretically focusing at counter illegal fishing behaviors and administer fisheries activities in theVietnamese water corresponding to its name, the Fisheries Surveillance also shares VCG's missions to perform SAR and represents Vietnam's national interest and sovereignty exercises in the sea with its strong fleet of more than 100 medium-sized patrol vessels.
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