The fishing vessel Evening Star will stay at the bottom of Slocum Arm.
That’s the word from the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation about the vessel that sank in the western Chichagof Island waters earlier this month.
The 50-foot Evening Star, home-ported in Sitka, capsized while seining on August 2nd. It was initially in shallow waters but slipped to a depth of nearly 400 feet.
A report from the DEC says the vessel released the majority of its fuel when it sank into deeper waters. The boat had about 1,000 gallons of diesel on board, in addition to some lube oil and a hydraulic oil tank. The release of the oil products resulted in a sheen nearly a mile and a half long. It has since dissipated.
No impacts to fish or wildlife were reported.
The state further says crews have retrieved oil containment booms above the wreck, and from the mouth of nearby salmon streams.
Ed Ronco is a reporter at KCAW in Sitka.
