The U.S. Coast Guard Saturday seized a foreign fishing vessel for illegally fishing inside the 200 mile U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) at Howland/Baker Islands in the South Pacific Ocean, about 1,700 miles southwest of Honolulu. The Coast Guard Cutter Walnut is currently escorting the fishing vessel Marshalls 201 toward Guam for further action.
A Coast Guard C-130 airplane and crew were on patrol in the Howland/Baker EEZ Saturday when the crew spotted a purse seiner with nets in the water and crew aboard two workboats about two miles inside the EEZ. The aircrew maintained visual contact with the 210-foot Marshalls 201 as the fishing vessel’s crew retrieved the nets and workboats.