Oct. 16, 2003 – With the season poised to bring more vessels, both commercial and recreational, into the Charlotte Amalie harbor, the U.S. Coast Guard issued a reminder on Thursday that it has established a permanent 50-yard "security zone" around all cruise ships "entering, departing, moored or anchored in the port of St. Thomas."
Unauthorized vessels observed within this security zone "could be subject to substantial fines," a Coast Guard release stated.
Permission to be within the zone must come from the Coast Guard captain of the port or his representative, it said. And "witnessing an unauthorized entry into the security zone by a representative of the captain of the port is the only proof necessary to initiate violation procedures."
The security zone was established as a homeland security measure last July under the federal rule-making process. For more information, call Lt. John Reinert, Coast Guard Marine Safety Detachment commander on St. Thomas, at 776-3497.
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