The U.S. Coast Guard has responded to an increased number of security zone violations around bridge abutments within the past month in New York Harbor. Coast Guard Sector New York and Station New York watchstanders have deployed several boarding teams in recent weeks to interdict boaters who were inside the 25-yard security zone around bridge abutments.
The Coast Guard would like to remind boaters in New York Harbor that the 25-yard area around bridge abutments remains a restricted part of the waterway. If a boat violates the security zone, the Coast Guard will first notify them via marine band radio and may possibly board the boat to ensure compliance.
“The purpose of having rules like this in effect are for the safety and security of the bridges,” said Senior Chief Petty Officer John Fowler, Command Center Supervisor at Coast Guard Sector New York. “More often than not we run into these cases where fishermen are trying to fish a different spot; however the safety of the bridges and the people transiting them are a top priority for us.”