Maritime security at the heart of tri-lateral forum held on base

The Working Group of the North American Maritime Security Initiative (NAMSI) gathered at CFB Esquimalt for their biannual meeting Aug. 16 to 19. Photo by MCpl Brent Kenny

SLt MJ Cserhazi, MARPAC PAO ~

The Working Group of the North American Maritime Security Initiative (NAMSI) gathered at Canadian Forces Base Esquimalt for their biannual meeting from Aug. 16 to 19.

NAMSI is the only tri-lateral maritime security forum between Canada, Mexico and the United States. It was established to improve maritime security along the coast from Alaska to the southern tip of Mexico. In Esquimalt, the main focus of the Working Group was to refine communications and legal considerations.

Delegations from the Royal Canadian Navy, the Mexican Navy, the U.S. Coast Guard, the U.S. Navy, Canadian Joint Operations Command (CJOC), and Joint Interagency Task Force South share a common goal: to strengthen their relationships and increase interoperability by sharing information, best practices and developing tri-lateral exercises.

“NAMSI exists to formalize our efforts and to share our best maritime practices and protocols,” says Major Donald Senft who represented MARPAC at the discussions.

While the nations have a strong nautical alliance and regularly collaborate with each other, NAMSI seeks to streamline their practices. This effort represents a large amount of ongoing work.

“NAMSI is a marathon not a sprint,” says Commander Alex Kooiman of CJOC. “It will take time to come up with answers to larger issues such as communications and legal considerations so we can better prosecute offenders across international borders. By understanding the legal parameters and how to employ that knowledge throughout our respective forces, we will be able to work more closely to support each other.”

Canada, Mexico and the U.S. regularly conduct operations and exercises together in the areas of maritime interdiction, humanitarian assistance, search and rescue, and counter narcotics. Enforcing maritime law is especially important for Commander Luis E. Rodriguez Gallo of the Mexican Navy.

“When we talk about NAMSI it means that we want to work together to increase maritime security. Our next challenge together is to know what our partners need from us, and what we need from them,” he says.

The NAMSI initiative will continue to collaborate both at sea and on land to strengthen interoperability and to increase the security of North America.