Coast guard

A coast guard or coastguard is a maritime security organization of a particular country. The term implies widely different responsibilities in different countries, from being a heavily armed military force with customs and security duties to being a volunteer organization tasked with search and rescue functions and lacking any law enforcement powers. However, a typical coast guard's functions are distinct from typical functions of both the navy (a pure military force) and a transportation police (a civilian law enforcement agency).

History

The modern Her Majesty's Coastguard of the United Kingdom was established in 1809 as the Waterguard, and was originally devoted to the prevention of smuggling as a department of the HM Customs and Excise authority. It was, however, also responsible for giving assistance to shipwrecks.

Each Water Guard station was issued with Manby's Mortar which was invented by Captain George 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 up and down the coastline. This began the process in which the Coastguard assumed a life saving role. In 1821 a committee of inquiry recommended that responsibility for the Preventative Water Guard be transferred to the Board of Customs. The Treasury agreed and in a Minute dated 15 January 1822, directed that the preventative services, which consisted of the Preventative Water Guard, cruisers, and Riding Officers should be placed under the authority of the Board of Customs and in future should be named the Coast Guard. In 1845 the Coastguard was subordinated to the Admiralty.

Swedish Coast Guard

The Swedish Coast Guard (Swedish: Kustbevakningen) is a Swedish civilian government agency tasked with:

  • maritime surveillance and other control and inspection tasks as well as environmental cleanup after oil spills at sea.
  • co-ordinate the civilian needs for maritime surveillance and maritime information.
  • follow international development within the field and take part in international efforts to establish border controls, law enforcement at sea, environmental protection at sea and other maritime surveillance tasks.
  • The Swedish Coast Guard carries out some of its surveillance by air (from its base at Skavsta Airport south-west of Stockholm), and in the winter-time by hovercraft on the ice-covered waters of the Bothnian Bay from its Luleå station. The Coast Guard also has regular maritime duties in Vänern, Europe's third largest lake, operating out of Vänersborg.

    Organization

    The Coast Guard has 26 coastal stations, including an aviation coastal station. The stations fall under four regional areas; North (KRN), East (KRO), West (KRV) and South (KRS); with the regional headquarters located in Härnösand, Stockholm, Gothenburg, and Karlskrona respectively. Four management centers controls the daily operational activities and there is also at least one duty officer around the clock. The Coast Guard's central headquarters is located in the historic 17th century naval city of Karlskrona, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

    Coast Guard (Haiti)

    The Haitian Coast Guard, officially the Haitian Coast Guard Commission (French: Commissariat des Gardes-Côtes d’Haïti) or G-Cd'H, is an operational unit of the Haitian 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.

    History

    The Haitian Coast Guard was formed in the late 1930s, 20 years after the disbandment of the Haitian Navy, and was equipped with two small picket boats named 1 and 2 and the 161-ton Sans Souci. The latter was formerly the American yacht Captain James Taylor.

    During World War II, six 83-foot cutters, named 1 through 6, were transferred from the US Coast Guard in 1942. Three 121-ton SC class submarine chasers, Touissaint L'Ouverture, 16 Aout 1946, and Admiral Killick, were transferred in 1947, along with the 47-ton cutter Savannah and the light transport Vertières. The two picket boats were withdrawn at this time.

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    Youth urged to defend sovereignty as Iloilo hosts WPS symposium

    Manila Standard 08 Apr 2025
    The symposium, organized by the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) in partnership with the National Youth Commission (NYC) and the Philippine Information Agency (PIA), aimed to educate young Filipinos on ...
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    As the U.S.-Mexico land border tightens, focus turns to dangerous sea crossings

    San Diego Union-Tribune 06 Apr 2025
    The Southern California Coast Guard recorded nine maritime smuggling incidents just in the last week of March, involving 60 people, according to data shared by the agency on the social media platform X.
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    As the California.-Mexico land border tightens, focus turns to dangerous sea crossings

    East Bay Times 06 Apr 2025
    The Southern California Coast Guard recorded nine maritime smuggling incidents just in the last week of March, involving 60 people, according to data shared by the agency on the social media platform X.
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    25 irregular migrants rescued off Turkish coast; one dead

    Urdu Point 06 Apr 2025
    One body was recovered at the scene, state-run Anadolu Agency reported on Sunday.</p><p>According to a statement from the Turkish Coast Guard Command, a ...
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    Brock Horner, with Tarpon Coast Fishing Charters, charged with burglary with assault

    News Journal - Daytona Beach 06 Apr 2025
    The United States Coast Guard and The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission are also investigating the incident, Punta Gorda Police Chief Pam Smith said in a press conference Saturday morning, and additional charges could be forthcoming.
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    CIB warns of social media fraud amid hacks

    Taipei Times 06 Apr 2025
    ... authorities over the past few have days uncovered several impersonation scams on social media platforms used by Taoyuan government agencies, as well as coast guard and police units in Penghu County.
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    Afghan National Ordered into Pre-Trial Detention as Suspected Smuggler in Lesvos Dinghy Tragedy

    Greek City Times 05 Apr 2025
    One child remained missing as of Friday afternoon, while 23 others were rescued during a search and rescue operation involving Frontex (European Border and Coast Guard Agency) and Greek coast guard vessels.
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    Cyprus deports another 15 people, reaching 3,737 in 2025

    Philenews 05 Apr 2025
    Cypriot authorities in collaboration with the European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex), have conducted another operation to deport people residing in the Republic of Cyprus without the required documentation ... Read more. ... ....
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    Congress Considers Law to Create Secretary of the Coast Guard

    The Maritime Executive 04 Apr 2025
    Earlier this week, Senator Rick Scott introduced the Coast Guard Improvement Act, a bill that establishes the Secretary of the Coast Guard, a non uniformed individual who will oversee Coast Guard ...
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    Five Dead as Migrant Boat Capsizes in Aegean Sea

    Famagusta Gazette 04 Apr 2025
    The Coast Guard North Aegean Group Command was alerted to the incident near Ayvacik district ... involved in human trafficking have been arrested, according to Coast Guard Command statistics.
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    CAUGHT ON CAM: Punta Gorda boat rage video goes viral

    WPTV 04 Apr 2025
    The Punta Gorda Police Department, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, and United States Coast Guard have stated the agencies are investigating the incident ... "The Coast Guard is investigating the incident.
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    Who is Brock Horner? Florida charter captain apologizes after boat rage video goes viral

    Herald-Tribune Sarasota 04 Apr 2025
    ... for allegedly not having his lights on earlier.The incident is under investigation by multiple agencies, including the Punta Gorda Police Department and the U.S. Coast Guard ... Coast Guard Sector St.
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    Canada’s First Large LNG Export Facility Enters Final Commissioning Stage

    The Maritime Executive 04 Apr 2025
    ... from the Canadian Coast Guard and Canada Border Services Agency, our marine team welcomed for the first time an LNG carrier to the LNG Canada facility in Kitimat,” the company wrote online.
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