Happy New Year

Happy New Year. On this first day of 2010 it’s appropriate to take note of maritime opportunities and challenges and the health of America’s longstanding pubic-private partnership to achieve mutual marine safety, security and stewardship goals.

Today’s Washington Post editorial asks, “As 2010 begins, can we keep faith in our great American ideals?” From a maritime perspective, my answer is a resounding “yes”.

Across every segment of the maritime – both domestic and international, I see mariners determined to support the aspirations and needs of freedom-loving people and the rule of law despite the hardships and distractions of being at sea. In fact, I strongly believe the maritime community is a model for the rest of society when it comes to compliance with laws and conventions, worldwide engagement, free trade, human rights, environmental protection, and aid to devastated people at sea and ashore.

My new years resolution is to advance the model using the opportunities I have as director of Coast Guard Atlantic operations. I see opportunities in the modernized Coast Guard, in new technologies such as Long Range Identification and Tracking, in cooperative initiatives such as the USCG-American Waterways Operators partnership, and the International Maritime Organization’s Voluntary Marine Safety Assessment System audits, and in the forthcoming worldwide economic recovery.

There will be broad challenges including: natural disasters, terrorism and piracy, climate change, drug and human trafficking, diminishing fish stocks, corruption in certain failing or centrally controlled governments, and wars.

Also, there’s industry specific opportunities and challenges such as: implementation of higher standards for towing and fishing vessels, cooperative security for certain dangerous cargo operations, implementation of ballast water standards to prevent invasive species and air emission standards to reduce NOX, SOX and particulates, and infrastructure changes including: a wider Panama canal, an aging American western river system, and sea-shore intermodal connections.

Manning and competency will continue to be a universal challenge AND opportunity in the maritime. Fortunately, maritime organizations - domestic and international, public and private – are focused on this critical issue. Modern standards for training, competency and watch keeping have created a threshold unlike any in the history of seafaring. Nothing is more important than for the maritime community to embrace and support young, talented people who are entering the profession.

I’m optimistic about 2010. I sent Christmas greetings to the Coast Guard men and women who were underway or in the war zone overseas – and they responded. They were optimistic and focused, and excited to be part of the maritime tradition of leadership and self-sacrifice for a better world.

RDML W