Maritime

The maritime space of the eight (8) RSS Member States is approximately 551,008 km2 and includes coastal, offshore and inland waters. The passages through the Eastern Caribbean corridor provides gateway to the Atlantic Ocean and the wider Caribbean Sea area for commercial and recreational traffic of over 80,000 ships per year.

The regional security interest is pegged on six (6) of the strategic goals (4, 5, 6, 9, 12 and 13) under the pillar of the CARICOM Crime and Security Strategy (CCSS), 2013 and the revised document of 2019, as well as the strategic maritime interests which are articulated in the Regional Maritime Security Strategy (RMSS), 2021.

The concept of structured Coordinated Coast Guard patrols in the RSS AOO was given the green light in 1989. Today, RSS maritime operational activities are conducted through the Regional Coordinated Patrol and Maritime Operations programmes. Activities also include Joint operations with regional and international partners (US, UK, French, Dutch), as well as providing a disaster relief response mechanism to support CDEMA in the wake of a climatic event that may result in distress on an affected state.

As threat networks and transnational criminal organisations continue their pursuit to broaden their operations within the RSS AOO, the response to protecting ‘the Blue’ of the sub-region remains the number one priority in Maritime Operations, to ensure that all CG/PM units are sufficiently equipped to mitigate the Risks and Threats to Maritime Security in the execution of MLE duties while tackling serious organised crime (illicit trafficking) across the Member States.