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44 Maritime Reporter & Engineering News • MARCH 2014 PATROL BOAT REPORT T he Caribbean is a complex maritime environment, with multiple countries and ter- ritories, signifi cant seaborne commerce and a wide variety of threats to safety, security, stability, the environ- ment and sovereignty. A diverse group of stakeholders gathered in Providen- ciales, Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI) to discuss those challenges and reaffi rm their commitment to address them. A major theme throughout the conference was that partnerships and collaboration are important to achieving maritime se- curity in the region. Maritime Security Caribbean 2013 was hosted by Homeland Security Out- look and held at the Beaches Resort on Providenciales. The conference was opened by Peter Beckingham, the governor of the Turks and Caicos Islands, an independently governed British overseas territory lo- cated south of the Bahamas and north of Haiti and the Dominican Republic. Beckingham acknowledged the substan- tial maritime security risks of drug and human traffi cking and illegal immigra- tion for the TCI. “There is a huge vul- nerability about these islands.” “Maritime security is an ongoing con- cern for our government. We have lots of beaches—ideal landing areas for traf- fi cking of drugs, humans and fi rearms, and the removal of endangered or intro- duction of invasive species,” said Ricar- do Don-Hue Gardiner, the TCI minister of border control and labor. Gardiner. “We have a fundamental responsibil- ity to do the very best we can to protect our people and our visitors. No vessel should reach our shores undetected and without scrutiny.” Among the major challenges to mari- time security are illegal landings sloops packed with people who did not go through proper entry process, Gardiner said. According to Gardiner, the number of illegal migrants who were interdicted was about 900 in 2012, and is on track to be higher this year. “It could reach the equivalent of four percent of our popula- tion this year.” “We have 40 islands and cays, and they’re all pretty small, so it’s challeng- By Edward Lundquist Caribbean Security Challenges Edwar d Lundquist The Royal Turks and Caicos Island Police Force Marine Police are equipped with a variety of patrol boats to monitor and patrol their waters. The three engines on this boat can achieve speeds up to 60 knots. MODUTECH MARINE INC. MODUTECH MARINE INC. 0 $ 5 , 1 ( 9 , ( : ' 5 , 9 ( 7 $ & 2 0 $ : $ 3 + 2 1 ( ) $ ; www.modutechmarine.com Modutech Marine 95’ Multi Mission Boat (MMB) 95’ long x 28’ beam aluminum Multi Mission Boat (MMB) with raised Pilothouse, transom ramp to transition payloads to/from ocean surface to/ from an Aft Flat Cargo Deck, deck cranes, and dedicated Electronics Equipment Compartment. s / P E R A T I O N S I N C L U D E B U T A R E N O T L I M I T E D T O L A U N C H A N D R E T R I E V A L O F U N D E R W A T E R T A R G E T S R E T R I E V A L O F T O R P E D O E S L A U N C H A N D R E T R I E V A L O F S U R F A C E T A R G E T S L A U N C H A N D R E T R I E V A L O F A I R T A R G E T S E L E C T R O N I C W A R F A R E A N D U S E I N T R A I N I N G E V O L U T I O N S F O R S E A M A N S H I P A N D V E S S E L B O A R D I N G s - I S S I O N D U R A T I O N I S T O D A Y S W I T H O P E R A T I O N S & U L L L O A D S P E E D K N O T S # R U I S E S P E E D I N E X C E S S O F K N O T S & U E L C A P A C I T Y S U F l C I E N T F O R N A U T I C A L M I L E R A N G E A T C R U I S E S P E E D s & U L L Y C A P A B L E O F C O N D U C T I N G M I S S I O N O P E R A T I O N S I N 3 E A 3 T A T E T R A N S I T A N D S U R V I V E 3 E A 3 T A T E # A P A B L E O F O P E R A T I N G I N A L L W E A T H E R C O N D I T I O N S BUILDERS OF WORLD CLASS COMMERCIAL BOATS MR #3 (42-49).indd 44 3/5/2014 11:41:31 AM
