Salvage Set to Remove Wrecked Fishing Vessel Off St. George

Six-Month Wait Before Wreck Removal Begins

Salvage teams are getting ready to remove the wreck of the fishing vessel Arctic Sea, a 134-foot crab boat that ran aground near St. George, Alaska, on January 5. According to a report by The Maritime Executive, harsh weather delayed access to the site for months, and it took salvors roughly six months just to reach the wreck and complete a full survey. The removal operation is now expected to start in early August.

Extent of the Pollution

When it grounded, Arctic Sea was carrying an estimated 50,000 gallons of diesel fuel, about 2,000 gallons of hydraulic fluid and lubricating oil, and roughly 11,000 pounds of crab in its holds. A visible sheen was reported within two days, spotted both by the crew of the response vessel Makushin Bay and by residents observing from the bluff above the wreck site. At its peak, the slick reportedly extended six to eight miles and spread about 200 yards from shore.

Most of the detailed picture of the damage only emerged in the past two months. On June 1, a team from Global Diving & Salvage boarded the hull to conduct a pollution assessment. Their findings showed that ten of the vessel’s eleven fuel tanks had ruptured and released their contents into the sea — an estimated 45,000 gallons of diesel — along with the full load of lube oil and hydraulic fluid. Only the No. 2 starboard double-bottom tank, holding a rated 5,821 gallons, remained intact, and the survey crew sealed its vent and standpipe to prevent any additional leakage. The fish holds, left open at the time, were found empty.

Structural Condition Worsens

A follow-up inspection by Resolve Marine on June 20 assessed the vessel for removal and turned up further bad news: the previously intact fuel tank had taken on seawater, and the hull itself was breaking apart, with cracking along both the port and starboard sides and sections of the bow already detached.

With that assessment complete, the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) says the 130-foot U.S.-flagged salvage tug Makushin Bay, operated by Resolve Marine, is now positioned offshore awaiting a suitable weather window to begin the operation. Salvors are aiming to complete the job before winter conditions take hold in the Bering Sea. DEC has flagged that the ongoing oil spill presents a serious risk to marine life and seabirds in this ecologically sensitive region.

What This Means for Owners and Managers

This case is a reminder of how quickly a grounding can escalate from a localized incident into a prolonged environmental and logistical challenge, particularly in remote, weather-exposed waters. The six-month gap between the grounding and the first detailed pollution survey underscores how limited access windows in areas like the Bering Sea can delay both damage assessment and pollution containment, allowing structural deterioration to compound the problem. For fleet operators working in similarly isolated or seasonally hazardous regions, the Arctic Sea case highlights the value of thorough, up-to-date condition surveys and tank integrity checks well before a vessel faces extreme weather or aging infrastructure risk. It also illustrates why rapid-response pollution surveys — of the kind carried out here by Global Diving & Salvage and Resolve Marine — are critical tools for establishing the true scope of a casualty when initial access is impossible. Owners and managers should take note of how quickly hull integrity can degrade once a vessel is aground and exposed to the elements, reinforcing the case for proactive structural surveys and contingency planning wherever operations extend into remote or seasonally restricted waters.

Reviewed by Ibrahim Halil Ceylan, Marine Surveyor at Apeks Marine.