Derelict ship removed from lagoon

A derelict fishing boat that has been grounded in the Tanapag Lagoon for nine years was finally removed late last month.

According to the Coastal Resources Management Office, the two-month operation to remove the abandoned vessel Nago No. 15 was completed on Feb. 20, 2006.

Owned by the Japanese fishing firm Roshe International, the vessel had been an environmental threat since it was grounded in August 1997 because of its potential to further scour seagrass bed and threaten coral heads observed in the vicinity.

The removal operation was conducted by Seafix Inc. between Dec. 14, 2005 and Feb. 20, 2006, at a cost of $49,1000. The CNMI Coral Reef Initiative grant funded $19,000 and the U.S. Congress matched it with $30,000.

CRMO director John Joyner said in a case study that over 20 tons of debris was removed from Nago No. 15 before an attempt was made on Jan. 31 to pull the vessel ashore.

Although the boat moved about 100 feet inland, it again grounded and additional dismantlement was necessary before another pull out attempt could be made.

When enough weight had been removed, Seafix was able to take advantage of surging wave conditions to buoy the vessel and pull it to shore.

No spillage occurred during the removal operation. No dangerous waste was found, as all the fuel tanks were empty.

A total of 34,441 lbs of metal was separated and diverted from the Marpi landfill and given to Ericco Enterprises for scrap. The remaining 77,9209 lbs of non-recyclable debris was sent to Marpi landfill for disposal.

Nago No. 15 was one of the three ships owned by Roshe International that went aground. The first, Nago No. 16, sank in January 1997 while sailing with Nago No. 15 to Guam from Tokyo. It was short on fuel, floundered off Pagan, and sank on the reef.

Nago No. 15 also had trouble at that time, but stayed afloat and their sister ship, Nago No. 11, was called to tow No. 15 to Saipan’s port

Roshe International’s local agent, Saipan Shipping Company Inc., used the $10,000 bond to cover costs of a reef and shoreline assessment on Pagan. No significant damage was found and the CNMI government allowed Nago No. 15 and 11 to continue on their journey to Guam. But the vessels remained tied together and docked next to Saipan’s seaport where they fell into further disrepair.

By April 1997, Nago No. 11 had sunk where it was docked, creating an oil spill. Nago No. 15 was untied from the other vessel and No. 11 was pulled out and drydocked. Nago No. 15 was then towed 50 feet away and anchored.

The government told the local agent in August 1997 to remove the vessels in preparation for the typhoon season. But the vessels were not moved. Typhoon Winnie hit less than a week later, pushing No. 15 toward shore. The vessel grounded in shallow water in the Tanapag lagoon within the vast seagrass bed leaving an 8 ft. scour on the portside and 20 ft wide scour off the bow.

Roshe International eventually abandoned the boats. The CNMI government put the boat up for auction, but there were no buyers.

In 2003, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration listed Nago No. 15 as a priority vessel for removal due to its threat to the environment. In 2004, the vessel scoured another 50 feet of the seagrass bed, as a result of typhoons Chaba and Ting Ting.