[TinyRedLeaf]

Tsunami ghost ship drifts near Canada coast

Vancouver (March 24, Sat): After being flushed out to sea by last year's massive tsunami and earthquake, a Japanese squid-fishing boat has drifted across the Pacific Ocean and is now moving towards British Columbia's north coast.

The 45m (150 ft) ship is drifting right-side-up about 140 nautical miles (260km / 160 miles) from Cape Saint James on the southern tip of Haida Gwaii, formerly known as the Queen Charlotte Islands.

"It's been drifting across the Pacific for a year, so it's pretty beat up," said marine-search coordinator Jeff Olsson of the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre.

A plane on a routine surveillance patrol for the Fisheries and Defence departments found the ship last Tuesday afternoon. The Canadian Coast Guard has issued a notice to all vessels that the ship is an obstruction to navigation.

The ship — the first, and largest, item confirmed to have crossed the Pacific Ocean to North America from Japan's devastating earthquake and tsunami on March 11 last year — was confirmed lost by Japanese officials. Attempts to hail the ship brought no response and Mr Olsson told the Vancouver Sun: "We know nobody's in danger."*

Earlier this month, British Columbia and the American states of Washington, Oregon and California signed an agreement to coordinate management of tsunami debris when it reaches shore, and to return items of sentimental value to Japan.

The Japanese fishing boat is not expected to reach landfall for another 50 days, said a media statement by Washington Senator Maria Cantwell, who has a special interest in marine issues.

NATIONAL POST

* I think I've watched this story before.