Security a priority for Coast Guard

The head of the Coast Guard in the Pacific stressed the importance of maritime trade and national security Friday at a change-of-command ceremony at the Coast Guard’s 14th District base on Sand Island.

"It’s imperative that we meet threats well before they arrive here, so keeping that supply chain vibrant is one of the many missions that we do here out of Hawaii," said Vice Adm. Paul F. Zukunft, Coast Guard Pacific Area commander.

Zukunft spoke of the need to meet threats to the global supply chain, protect fragile Pacific Ocean ecosystems and strengthen the economic prosperity and safety of Pacific island communities.

Two days earlier Vice President Joe Biden predicted a growing need for Coast Guard services in a speech to the 2013 U.S. Coast Guard Academy graduating class. Biden said the economic prosperity of every country is dependent on sea transport, according to a release from the American Forces Press Service.

The U.S. Department of Defense is working with the Coast Guard to bolster national security efforts, under the 2012 Oceania Maritime Security Initiative.

Rear Adm. Cari B. Thomas assumed command of the 14th District on Friday, succeeding Rear Adm. Charles W. Ray. Thomas most recently served as assistant commandant for Response Policy, overseeing the development of strategic response doctrine and policy guidance.

Ray’s new post will be as deputy commander of the Pacific Area, headquartered in Alameda, Calif. Ray had been commander of the 14th District since October 2010.

Zukunft praised the "maritime stewardship" of Ray, who orchestrated the rehabilitation of a coral reef in American Samoa using $6.5 million collected in maritime fines. Zukunft encouraged ocean protection, especially the preservation of Pacific fish populations. Pacific island nations rely on fishing for more than 60 percent of their economy, Zukunft said.