As an eerie reminder of the tragedy that befell the Japanese people over 12 months ago, a 150-ft empty fishing boat has been sighted off the coast of Canada.
The "ghost ship" has been traced back to a Hokkaido squid fishing company, which confirmed that no one was thought to have been on board before the tsunami struck.
The ship was spotted by a patrol aircraft and the Canadian transport ministry is keeping close tabs on the vessel, ensuring it doesn't become an obstruction to shipping lanes and that it isn't leaking pollution.
Oceanic researchers have been working hard to understand the extent to which the Japanese debris has affected the Pacific. By October 2011, debris had washed up on Hawaii beaches and by December 2011, tsunami flotsam had reached Washington State. NOAA models show that debris should have reached California by now.
