| Agencyname: | Netherlands Coastguard |
| Nativename: | Dutch; Flemish: Kustwacht Nederland |
| Patch: | File:Netherlands Coast Guard emblem.svg |
| Patchcaption: | Netherlands Coast Guard emblem |
| Logocaption: | Ensign |
| Flag: | File:Netherlands Coast Guard racing stripe.svg |
| Flagcaption: | Racing stripe |
| Motto: | Latin: Servamus Servientes |
| Formedmonthday: | February 26 |
| Formedyear: | 1987 |
| Constitution1: | Regulation on organization of Netherlands Coastguard, 2019[1] |
| Budget: | (2020)[2] |
| Country: | Netherlands |
| Speciality1: | coast |
| Minister1name: | Kajsa Ollongren |
| Minister1pfo: | Minister of Defense |
| Chief1name: | Nicole Kuipers[3] |
| Chief1position: | Director |
| Parentagency: | Royal Netherlands Navy |
The Netherlands Coastguard (Dutch; Flemish: Kustwacht Nederland) is civil organisation that carries out tasks on the Netherlands North Sea for six Ministries under administration of the Royal Netherlands Navy.[4] Its operational command falls under the Ministry of Defence, and the Royal Netherlands Navy is responsible for its coordination.[5]
Headquarters office is in Den Helder. Director is commander Nicole Kuipers.[6]
While the Netherlands Coastguard was officially established on 26 February 1987,[7] a less formal Dutch coastguard had been active since 1883. In 1882 the gunboat HNLMS Adder sunk off Scheveningen with the death of all 65 aboard. The public outcry that followed led to reforms, including an improved system of observing, reporting and assisting ships in distress off the coast, with better cooperation between lighthouses and government agencies.[7]
After World War II the area that could be covered off-coast became larger with new technologies such as radar and better means of communication. At the same time, government desire to protect Dutch interests in the North Sea, such as fishery, and extraction of oil, gas, sand and gravel, led to each ministry establishing its own department with, at one point, over twenty government organisations at work off the Dutch coast. To stop this fragmentation, in 1984 Minister Smit-Kroes of Traffic and water management ordered a review to examine how to make guarding the coast of the Netherlands more efficient and effective. The results of this review were published in 1986 and led to the creation of a single coastguard agency, namely the Netherlands Coastguard.[7]
Initially, the Coast Guard headquarters was housed in a building belonging to the coast radio station in IJmuiden. In 1995 the Coast Guard was assigned to the Ministry of Defense and on 23 November 2001 the headquarters moved to the national Navy HQ in Den Helder.
The Netherlands Coastguard carries out duties for six government ministries, these ministries are the:[8]
The Kustwachtcentrum (English: Coastguard Center) in Den Helder is also the Netherlands Joint Rescue Coordination Center (JRCC Den Helder, Call DEN HELDER RESCUE). It coordinates not only sea rescue (MRCC) but also air rescue (ARCC). Emergency calls in the monitored area of the North Sea and the airspace of the Netherlands are recorded at all times. A back office, which has access to the various databases of the authorities involved, serves to support the front office. For the SAR services, the lifeboats of the Koninklijke Nederlandse Redding Maatschappij (KNRM) get coordinated.
The Coastguard tasks can be divided into Provision of service tasks and Law enforcement tasks.
The Coast Guard has no vessels of its own, so resources are made available by the cooperating ministries and services[9]
| Vessel | Origin | Type | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| P42 | Netherlands | patrol boat | provided by the National Police Corps | |
| Osprey | Netherlands | patrol boat | provided by the National shipping company | |
| Bald Eagle | Netherlands | patrol boat | ||
| Barend Biesheuvel | Netherlands | patrol boat | provided by the National shipping company | |
| Hellhole | Netherlands | lifeboat | provided by the Theunisse Salvage | |
| KBW1910 | Netherlands | provided by the Dutch Sea Rescue Institution | ||
| George Dijkstra | Netherlands | lifeboat | ||
| Jeanine Parqui | Netherlands | Lifeboat (rescue) | lifeboat | |
| Koen Oberman | Netherlands | Lifeboat (rescue) | lifeboat | |
| Jan van Engelenburg | Netherlands | lifeboat | ||
| Fury 3 | Netherlands | anchor tug | provided by the Theunisse Salvage | |
| Fury 4 | Netherlands | Anchor handling tug supply vessel | anchor tug | |
| Guardian | Netherlands | Anchor handling tug supply vessel | anchor tug | |
| Flystream | Netherlands | buoy maintainer | ||
| Barge hole | Netherlands | buoys | buoy maintainer | |
| New Deep | Netherlands | buoy maintainer | provided by the National shipping company | |
| Terschelling | Netherlands | buoy maintainer | provided by the National shipping company | |
| Wadden Sea | Netherlands | buoys | buoy maintainer | provided by the National shipping company |
| Frans Naerebout | Netherlands | buoys | buoy maintainer | provided by the National shipping company |
| Waddenstroom | Netherlands | Multi Purpose vessel | provided by the National shipping company | |
| Zirfea | Netherlands | research vessel | provided by the National shipping company | |
| Arca | Netherlands | multifunctional vessel | provided by the National shipping company | |
| Zr.Ms. Willemstad | Netherlands | mine sweeper | provided by the Royal Netherlands Navy |