Coast Guard Presentation at State of the Port: Challenges From Pandemic, Port Congestion Persist

COVID has had an impact.  Port state control exams were down 30% due to the inability to physically deploy personnel.  Some inspections were done virtually.  Fishing vessel exams were done via teleconferencing with Coast Guard personnel on the pier next to the ship being examined.  However, container inspection volume fell by 15%, again due to the inability to deploy personnel. 
A recent incident involved a cargo ship arrived with obviously malnourished crew.  The Coast Guard intervened upon arrival to determine the causes of this situation, and to determine if possible human trafficking was involved.  However, it was discovered that the problem was caused by mismanagement at an earlier port that resulted in insufficient food supplies being laden on board for the crew.

The recent arrival of the huge cranes for the port of Oakland was a major challenge in that the cranes had to be lowered to clear the Golden Gate Bridge, raised back up and then lowered to clear the Bay Bridge, and raised back up for final arrival at the berth.  Other facets of this event included the creation of security zones around the vessel at all times, and instituting marine traffic controls to ensure a smooth, unimpeded arrival.
Managing ship anchorage in SF Bay during the recent congestion crisis has been a big challenge for the Coast Guard.  The Coast Guard worked with agents, pilots association, the Marine Exchange and others to help predict arrivals and manage the exceptional numbers of ships anchored in the bay. 
The Coast Guard covers 2500 miles of shoreline from San Luis Obispo to the Oregon border, which includes ocean and river systems.  800 people are stationed in this district, at seven stations (Bodega Bay, Vallejo, San Francisco, Monterey, Lake Tahoe among others).  The district has four patrol boats, a marine safety detachment, an “aid to navigation team,” and it provides vessel traffic service.