After spending nearly a month off the coast of Japan, "Preble" began to conduct a series of fisheries patrols. From 28 February to 6 March 2011, she conducted these patrols in the Exclusive Economic Zones of various Pacific island nations as part of the Oceania Maritime Security Initiative. With modern technology, fishing vessels have increased their capability and capacity to catch more fish, and consequently, it is imperative that the rights of small island nations to their EEZ be preserved to prevent illegal fishing and exploitation of their ecosystems. EEZ patrols are part of an ongoing partnership between the U.S. Navy and U.S. Coast Guard to reduce and eliminate illegal, unregulated, unreported (IUU) fishing and effectively enforce fishing regulations across the Western Pacific.