USCG, Allies Wrap Up Operation North Pacific IUU Patrol

Multinational Patrol Targets Illegal Fishing in the North Pacific

The U.S. Coast Guard, together with Canadian agencies and other international partners, has wrapped up Operation North Pacific Guard (NPG) 2026, a coordinated effort to detect and deter illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing on the high seas. According to a release from the U.S. Coast Guard carried by Maritime Executive, the operation brought together assets from the United States, Canada, Japan, and South Korea in a shared enforcement effort across the North Pacific.

Who Took Part

The U.S. contingent included the Coast Guard Cutter Midgett, the Pacific Area Maritime Information Fusion Center, the Pacific Area Tactical Law Enforcement Team, the Arctic District, and NOAA’s Office of Law Enforcement. International cooperation came from Fisheries and Oceans Canada, the Canadian Coast Guard, the Japan Coast Guard, Japan’s Fisheries Agency, the Korea Coast Guard, and South Korea’s Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries.

Findings From the 25-Day Mission

Over the course of a 25-day deployment, the Midgett’s crew carried out eight boardings and inspections on the high seas, uncovering three possible breaches of conservation and management rules set by Regional Fisheries Management Organizations. Combined patrol, aerial surveillance, and electronic monitoring efforts by the partner nations also flagged additional suspected violations, including illegal harvesting of shark fins. Any suspected infractions were passed on to the relevant flag states for follow-up action.

Capt. Brian Whisler, commanding officer of the Midgett, noted that NPG has been running for more than three decades and continues to deliver strong returns by protecting U.S. fish stocks and the broader seafood economy through close coordination with trusted partner nations.

Why It Matters for Fisheries and Maritime Security

The Coast Guard frames counter-IUU fishing work as a homeland security function. Migratory species such as salmon can spend years outside the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone before returning, leaving them exposed to unauthorized foreign harvesting that undercuts legitimate American fishermen. Tuna, marlin, and shark face similar exposure as they move between U.S. waters and the open ocean. NPG originated in the early 1990s to help enforce a United Nations moratorium on high-seas drift nets and has since broadened into a general counter-IUU fishing mission. Globally, IUU fishing is estimated to account for between 11 and 26 million metric tons of catch annually, a scale the Coast Guard says threatens national security, international relations, and coastal economies.

An Inspection and Compliance Perspective

While Operation NPG is a fisheries enforcement exercise rather than a commercial vessel inspection regime, it underscores a broader point relevant to the wider shipping industry: high-seas activity is increasingly subject to layered, multinational monitoring, combining physical boardings with aerial and electronic surveillance. For fishing vessel owners and operators, this operation is a reminder that compliance with RFMO conservation measures is actively checked in practice, not just on paper, and that suspected violations are reported directly to flag states rather than quietly overlooked. More broadly, it reflects a pattern seen across maritime governance — from port state control to flag state audits — where documentation, catch records, and gear compliance are expected to withstand scrutiny at any point during a voyage. Vessel operators who treat inspection readiness as a continuous discipline, rather than a one-off event ahead of a known boarding, are far better positioned to avoid detentions, penalties, or reputational damage when international patrols like NPG are active in their operating area.

Looking Ahead

The Coast Guard describes NPG as an intelligence-driven, recurring operation, suggesting similar patrols will continue in future seasons as pressure grows to curb IUU fishing across the Pacific. For operators in the region, the takeaway is straightforward: multinational coordination on high-seas enforcement is deepening, and the odds of undetected non-compliance are shrinking.

Reviewed by Ibrahim Halil Ceylan, Marine Surveyor at Apeks Marine.