Fish found in suspected tsunami debris boat quarantined
May 7, 2015
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — The wreckage of a fishing boat that appears to be debris from the 2011 Japanese tsunami was carrying some unexpected passengers — fish from Japanese waters — when it was spotted off the Oregon coast.
Scientists say 21 yellowtail jacks and one Asian striped knifejaw hitched a cross-Pacific ride in the bow of the boat.
Fish washed up in debris can bring parasites and diseases to native species, but biologists say the fish from Japan pose little threat.
The fish are quarantined at the Oregon Coast Aquarium and will be available for public viewing.
Last month, a striped knifejaw turned up in a fisherman’s crab trap off the Oregon Coast. And in 2013, biologists found five striped knifejaws alive in a water-filled bait box on a 20-foot-long Japanese boat washed up in southwest Washington.
