103 years of history and contribution

For 103 years the Harbour Police–Hellenic Coast Guard has been sailing the Greek seas with two main purposes: Supporting mercantile marine while confronting any form of criminality, as well as patrolling the country’s sea borders. This year it returns to the international marine show “Poseidonia”, in a joint stand with the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Insular Policy, with its officials ready to present to the visitors its diverse action and contribution to society as a whole. In particular, the Harbour Police–Hellenic Coast Guard (HP-HCG) contributes to the effective implementation of the responsibilities assumed vis-à-vis the development of maritime policy, the elaboration of maritime education and work, the protection of the marine environment, the planning and implementation of marine traffic policy, the decision making process for secure and safe navigation and protection of human life and property on board, taking necessary measures for policing and securing law and order at sea, the prevention and repression of illegal actions in the realm of responsibility of the Corps, as well as maritime border control.

Shipping  Navigation  Maritime transport

Regarding the support of mercantile marine, the Shipping Branch of the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Insular Policy sees to elaborate the maritime policy and manage the issues of ocean-going shipping, especially with regard to attracting vessels in the Greek register, having shipping companies established, incorporated and operating here, coordinating issues related to the EU Integrated Maritime Policy at a national level, ensuring the safety of navigation, creating, operating and supporting the maritime traffic monitoring systems in the areas under the responsibility of the HP-HCG, preventive and repressive measure taking for the protection of the marine environment and ensuring the routes of maritime cabotage.

In addition, it monitors the issues concerning the terms and conditions of labor on board and provides for the terms applied in crew recruitment, the development and implementation of seafarers’ education, reskilling and ongoing training systems, the sound operation of the respective private and public schools, providing maritime certificates of competency, the planning and implementation of measures aiming at balancing supply and demand in the maritime labor market, the attraction and introduction of youth in the maritime labor force and the facilitation of seafarers in issues of their concern.

Actions

At the same time, the Harbour Police–Hellenic Coast Guard is in charge of the strategic planning, coordination when needed, and monitoring of all operations pertaining to the realm of its mission and competence. The immediate response to maritime search and rescue incidents through the Single Maritime Search and Rescue Center (SMSSC) is also amongst its actions. In 2018, 1,194 people were rescued and transported in 1,091 operations, while in 2019, 1,129 people in 1,047 operations. Furthermore, 1,197 people were rescued and transported in 1,123 operations in 2020 and 1,650 people in 1,562 operations last year. In addition, in 2018 assistance was offered to 72,760 people involved in 2,255 search & rescue incidents, 85,236 people were saved in 2019, 27,334 people were transported to a safe place in 2020 and 28,797 people were saved in 2021.

Incidents

The CG Chief Petty Officer Matthew Kladias serves as boat-master of a vessel in Chios. There are uncountable incidents of search & rescue engraved in his memory. “It was a morning in December, shortly before Christmas. We had just taken up service. We receive a phone-call from a vessel crew who reported the presence of people on a rock near the Oenousses. As it turned out, these people had been deserted there the previous night, stranded and distressed, without any means of communication to ask for help. When we arrived, there was great difficulty coasting alongside and we realized that there were approximately 50 persons, mostly women and children. When we managed the rescue, the children had half fainted.” He will never forget the look in their eyes:” The way they looked at us and talked, was as if they were seeing God. It was as if they came back to life, since they had abandoned all hope that they might be found and rescued… When one comes into contact with these people one no longer sees them as ’mere figures’ in a rescue incident. They are persons kissing your hands and saying ’thank you for gifting me one more day of life’.”

Immigration issue

Ms. Despoina Diakovassili, Chief Petty Officer and boat-master of a vessel, serves at Lesvos which is still under the spotlight with regard to the Immigration issue, since modern-day slavers continue their operation there, illegally trafficking refugees and immigrants. In her mind, scenes from the 2016 refugee crisis, when she was serving at Samos, are always vibrant. Along with her colleagues, she had to save stranded people at risk of drowning, her being in tandem boat operator and rescuer. “We saw babies and young children unaccompanied; adults boarding our vessels and expecting us to save the minors. They had been put in a boat and traveled under heavy cold and rain. When we managed to transfer them on our vessel, we did whatever we could so as to make them feel well and safe. I saw my little nephews in their faces and wondered how they would have been treated in such a case.”

Operations

Furthermore, the Harbour Police–Hellenic Coast Guard (HP-HCG) officers operate in fighting illegal immigration and cooperate with competent authorities, such as INTERPOL, EUROPOL and FRONTEX. According to 2019 data, in 2,142 incidents, the Coast Guard officers proceeded to 65,106 arrests of refugees-immigrants and 173 traffickers. This year, during the first four months, 1,488 refugees-immigrants and 16 traffickers were arrested. In addition, the Harbour Police–Hellenic Coast Guard (HP-HCG) has special services and specialized, highly-trained executives. The mission of the specific units is to repress terrorist actions, transport dangerous detainees, neutralize explosive devices with the assistance of trained dogs, protect VIPs, while they also intervene in anti-terrorist operations, hostage salvations and high-risk missions even on land, and operate at deep sea aiming at salvaging ship wrecks, retrieving missing persons and collecting evidence from crime scenes.

Security

In addition, the Harbour Police–Hellenic Coast Guard (HP-HCG) ensures that its officers fight crime related to drug smuggling and economic offence in the field of its realm. It sees to it, though. It shall also ensure, by means of searching, collecting, analysing and exchanging information and by means of police cooperation in matters of public, state security and national interest in general, that crime, in particular organised crime, delinquency, and acts of violence and terrorism in the areas under its responsibility, are dealt with. It monitors the compliance with provisions regarding trafficking, stay and employment of foreigners in the country and especially illegal immigration, having done significant work to show for over the last years.

Environment

All of the above are not its only realm of activity. The HP-HCG systematically deals with the marine environment protection as well, since the latter is considered interwoven with the progress and prosperity of the country. In this framework, the Harbour Police–Hellenic Coast Guard is the Corps par excellence –through the Marine Environment Protection Directorate- responsible for the prevention of marine pollution from oil spills and other contaminants, as well as the fight against marine pollution and coastal contamination incidents by ship or land installations. The Marine Environment Protection Directorate supervises, monitors and coordinates coastal authorities in the prevention and fight against coastal and marine pollution, sees to the enhancement and modernization of the means and materials used in this fight by the port authorities and Regional Anti-Pollution Units, oversees the life-long training of the HP-HCG personnel and follows and participates in the work of international organizations and the EU in marine protection affairs.

Fishery

In parallel, the Corps is actively and systematically involved in the control of fishing activity which is considered to be one of the country’s most important production and development sectors. This control is an important element in order to preserve marine wealth and sufficiency of fish stocks. Dozens of tons of catches are seized annually, which are subsequently put up on tender or offered to public benefit. In 2018, 1,436 sanctions were imposed following the inspections carried out, with the overall imposed fines amounting to 1 million Euros. Until September 2019, out of circa 15,000 inspections carried out, 927 infringements were recorded, with the fines imposed reaching 570,000 Euros.

Accountability

The Chief of the Harbour Police–Hellenic Coast Guard (HP-HCG), vice-admiral Yiorgos Alexandrakis, reports the goals and priorities of the Corps: “First of all, the ongoing monitoring and targeted upgrading of the education, through the systemized identification of educational needs and its reform on criteria and a vision sufficient to secure the response of the Coast Guard officers to the demands of the complex mission at each point in time. Furthermore, the continuation and completion of the institutional framework governing the personnel of the Coast Guard and its elaboration in a way that guarantees justice, transparency, functionality and rational use of our human resources on a central and regional level. We attentively and responsibly pay heed to the needs and concerns of our personnel and strive to satisfy rightful claims, without jeopardizing the imperative needs of the service. Our ultimate responsibility lies in the systematic promotion of the current, unprecedented armament program of the Coast Guard, as well as the demand and pursuit of any available financial instrument, these being the prerequisites for securing the necessary effectiveness and response to the particularly high and specific demands of modern operational, maritime and social conditions.” The overall armament programme covers 34 different actions and has a total budget of EUR 500 million.

Conscientiousness

Mr. Alexandrakis points out: “The Coast Guard has manifestly proven in the past, and continues to do so, that it rises to the occasion, with professionalism and a deep sense of duty towards the country and our fellow citizens. Merely the feat of the last two years at confronting the immigration flow, particularly in the Eastern Aegean, where the reduction of inflows exceeds 85% vis-à-vis 2019, constitutes a real landmark in the history of the Corps and, concurrently, a model of proper organizational and operational function which is probably nowhere else to be met in the world. I am certain that this will be pursued and I intend to further enhancing the readiness and quick response of the Corps, in order to secure its promptness to respond to any challenge, exacerbation of the circumstances and ever-changing conditions.”