Japanese Skiff Latest Tsunami Debris In Hawaii Waters

A 20- by 6-foot skiff has been discovered by a Hawaii longline fishing vessel 700 nautical miles northeast of Maui, according to the Department of Land and Natural Resources.

It’s the latest debris generated by the March 2011 Japan tsunami to surface in local waters.

According to a DLNR press release Friday (Oct. 5), “registration numbers found on the skiff were used to attempt to locate a possible owner in Japan with assistance from the Japan Consulate in Honolulu and the Japanese Government. Today, it was confirmed as having been washed away during the tsunami. It was registered in the Iwate Prefecture. The owners have been found and they do not wish the boat’s return.”

DLNR says the skiff was “completely clean of any marine organisms,” so there is no danger of invasive species. The skiff also showed “normal background levels of radiation, similar to other debris objects that have already arrived.”