Maritime Border Challenges

ADG S Paramesh Additional Director General /Indian Coast Guard

Capt. Paul Gregg Director of Law Enforcement, Maritime Security, and Defense Operations Policy /US Coast Guard

CDR (PRT-N) Ricardo Lopes Cell Head – Sub Saharan Africa in the Civil-Military Engagement and Coordination Section /NATO STRATEGIC DIRECTION - SOUTH HUB

Major General Jorge Ludovico Bolas Commander of the Coastal and Border Control Unit /GNR, Portugal

Securing maritime borders is one of the most challenging problems facing border and associated agencies. Tens of thousands of kilometres of coastline. Thousands of secluded bays and river estuaries and inlets. Islands, islets, cliffs, beaches, marshlands and mangrove swamps. Busy ports and harbours. Numerous commercial and pleasure craft coming and going in conditions that can be anything from flat calm to gale force. Add to this the unseen; submersibles, semi-submersibles, scuba divers and underwater caches. Given the favourable conditions for criminal enterprise, no wonder smuggling is one of the oldest criminal activities. How do you secure your coasts and tackle the multitude of ingress and egress points and ensure that our coasts and maritime borders are as secure as they can be?