Carey Morishige News

The 20-by-6-foot skiff, covered in barnacles, was found floating northeast of Maui by the crew of the 'F/V Zephyr' who towed it in and cleaned it up. On the heels of Hawaii’s first confirmed report of Japan tsunami debris, NOAA and its partners are already examining the second confirmed item: a barnacled skiff which a fisherman found off the Hawaii coast—and which he wants to keep. Using the skiff’s registration number, NOAA worked through the Japan Consulate in Hawaii to track down its owner, who expressed no interest in having it returned or in whom took possession of it.

This advisory will be published on the MARAD web site at www.marad.dot.gov. The 9.0 magnitude earthquake that occurred march 11, 2011 off the east coast of Honshu, Japan resulted in a debris field in the North Pacific Ocean. Some possible marine debris types include derelict vessels, fishing nets and floats, lumber, cargo containers, and household goods. because different debris types move with currents and winds differently, the debris may be dispersed over a very broad area between Japan and the west coast of North America. US-flag operators with ships transiting the subject area should advise such vessels to remain vigilant and to monitor all sources of available information affecting safe and secure navigation in this area.