What is the primary objective of boarding operations?

The primary objective of boarding operations is to ensure compliance with maritime laws and security regulations. This encompasses a range of activities, including checking vessel documentation, verifying the status of the crew, and ensuring that the vessel adheres to safety standards and legal requirements. By conducting these inspections, authorities can uphold maritime law, enhance security, and protect the marine environment.

While inspecting the crew for training certification is an important task, it is typically a component of broader compliance verification rather than the primary objective itself. Imposing sanctions on illegal vessels may occur as a result of the compliance checks but is a consequence rather than the main goal. Conducting search and rescue missions is essential in certain situations, yet it is not the primary focus of boarding operations, which are primarily aimed at regulatory compliance and security enforcement.