OCEAN CITY — The latest and largest addition to the Maryland Natural Resources Police (NRP) fleet in the resort area was expected to arrive in Ocean City today.
The Maryland Natural Resources Police are adding the NRP-150, a 28-foot vessel manufactured by Metal Shark in Louisiana, to its fleet of vessels that patrol waters in and around the resort area. The NRP-150 will become the largest vessel in the state agency’s fleet maintained in Ocean City.
According to NRP spokesperson Candus Thompson, the NRP-150 was paid for in part by a federal grant and will be used for a variety of purposes. The patrol boat was purchased through the 2013 Joint Enforcement Agreement/Cooperative Enforcement Program (JEA). The JEA agreement with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) essentially deputizes NRP officers to enforce all federal marine regulations.
The addition of NRP-150 to the fleet in Ocean City allows Natural Resources Police to patrol the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), the federal jurisdiction that extends beyond the three-mile Maryland waters jurisdiction. As a result, the vessel allows the NRP to enforce federal laws under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation Act. The vessel will enhance the NRP’s abilities to detect and deter the illegal pursuit of, and fishing for, striped bass during certain restricted periods, for example.
The larger vessel, which is “built like a tank,” according to Thompson, will allow the NRP to go further offshore for search and rescue missions and other critical situations. NRP-15’s range on a tank of fuel at cruising speed is estimated to be 180 miles, or six hours while cruising at 30 knots. Its maximum speed is around 47 knots, or over 50 mph.
The vessel is equipped with radar and navigation electronics and sonar. It will also be fitted with a thermal imaging infrared camera that will enhance search and rescue operations and allow NRP officers to pick out heat signatures at night while searching for people in the water.