Watched by the crew, blue-clad Coast Guard officers clamber over the rail of the fishing vessel Aurelia Ann and drop to the deck. The boarding party fans out. One man checks the fish hold while another inspects the boat's life raft and safety gear. A third checks that the captain's federal fishing permits are in order, then measures the mesh size on the dragger's net.
The only sound is the wind rustling in the trees, since this role-playing scenario is unfolding at the Coast Guard's Northeast Region Fishery Training Center located on the Mass. Military Reservation in Bourne.
"Basically, this class trains Coast Guard personnel on how to conduct fishery boardings in the northeast region," said NRFTC commanding officer Lt. Lyle Kessler.
A prime objective of the course is to have participants develop an understanding of how a fishing vessel operates and how to interact with the crews, he said.
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