The overall objective of the Coast Guard is to reduce the loss of life on Ireland’s sea’s, lakes, waterways and rivers, coastal and remote areas; to provide assistance to persons in danger at sea, on the coast, Islands or remote inland areas; to coordinate searches for missing persons at sea or on the coast; to provide support on request to statutory bodies or agencies particularly in emergency response; to intervene as necessary in marine casualties; to monitor maritime traffic within our EEZ, to prevent or minimise damage to the marine environment within the Irish Exclusive Economic Zone, harbours and maritime local authority areas and to preserve property when possible. To deliver this the Coast Guard has in place rescue, security, ship casualty and pollution response regimes and ensures that where incidents do occur, there is an appropriate level of emergency preparedness and response to save life and to protect the quality of the marine environment.