A Japanese fishing vessel that was lost during last year's tsunami has been spotted off the coast of B.C.'s Haida Gwaii.
The derelict boat was sighted on Wednesday about 200 kilometres west of the former Queen Charlotte Islands, according to the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre. The Japanese Coast Guard has confirmed that the boat's owner reported it lost after the March 11, 2011 tsunami.
The Department of National Defence says that no one is on board the ship. Federal officials are monitoring the vessel, but no plans are in place to retrieve it.
A huge mass of debris swept away from Japan by the tidal wave is expected to appear on the B.C. coast by 2013, Environment Minister Terry Lake said earlier this month. Researchers from Canada and the U.S. have teamed up with all levels of government to monitor the spread of the debris cloud, which is estimated to be the size of California.
People living on the west coast of Vancouver Island have reported finding small artifacts from the tsunami along the shoreline for several months.
