An update on the fishing vessel spotted off the coast of Ta’u Island yesterday.
The US Coast Guard says there’s no evidence that the vessel was fishing as claimed on social media. Neither has the vessel been to China anytime recently.
Photos and a video of the longliner Adelita, were posted on the Manu’atele Worldwide Community FaceBook page with a cautionary note that the Coronavirus Task Force and health authorities should not allow it to dock in Pago Pago because it had been to China and may be carrying COVID-19.
Coast Guard Lt. Ryan Junod says the vessel is not allowed to fish in local waters and it would be up to NOAA Fisheries to look into what it was doing close to Ta’u Island yesterday, as this is not under the Coast Guard’s purview.
He said there was no evidence that the vessel was fishing off Ta’u.
The Adelita is a US registered vessel and belongs to the Chikami family, which also owns the purse seine Western Pacific and another longliner, the Tracey C.
