#tsunami debris maui

Projects are to be located within the Kauai, Honolulu, Maui and Hawaii Counties, with a focus on areas that typically receive the most marine debris.

Four of the confirmed items that have arrived in Hawaiʻi since Sept. 18, 2012 include: a large blue plastic bin, a fishing boat recovered 700 miles north of Maui by a Hawaii longline fisherman, a skiff found at Midway Atoll, and a skiff in pieces found at Kahana Bay, Oahu.

State officials say identification of the boat’s origin may also help with the identification of two species of mussels that were found attached to the boat.

Tsunami debris and the Western Pacific Garbage Patch are among the topics to be discussed in a Pacific Rim tour of the Plastic Pollution Conversation. A series of discussions begins tonight on Maui.

The 20 by 6 foot skiff was found by a Hawai’i longline fishing vessel about 700 nautical miles northeast of Maui. Registration numbers found on the skiff were used to identify the vessel. Authorities confirmed that it was washed away during the 2011 tsunami where it was registered in the Iwate Prefecture.

The northeast facing shoreline tends to get the brunt of incoming ocean debris. Piles of netting have been reported along the shoreline of the Waiehu Golf Course. Crews say they haven’t seen an increase per se yet, but even if it’s twice as much, it would be concerning.