Aleutians

The U.S. Coast Guard has rescued another injured mariner from a fishing vessel near Cold Bay, marking the fourth such medevac in a week.

The state of Alaska took custody of the custom processor in mid-January. It was scuttled Thursday, but it is unclear how the state funded disposal of the vessel.

A magnitude 7.9 earthquake early Tuesday is what is known as a strike-slip, or when two large blocks move side-to-side instead of up-and-down. That, and it’s distance from shore may explain why tsunami waves were so small.

Reporters in many coastal communities say tsunami evacuations have been called off. Tsunami advisories remain in effect in some areas. Initially, no damage was reported from the earthquake itself.

The recall election of Unalaska Mayor Frank Kelty is set for March 6. A recall petition signed by 172 community members seeks to remove him due to allegations of misconduct in office – specifically attempting to sole-source land use agreements for the Unalaska Marine Center positions 5-7.

The processor F/V Akutan was abandoned in Unalaska’s Captains Bay in September following a disastrous fishing season in Bristol Bay where the ship’s owner went broke, the crew went unpaid, and it’s 158,000 pound haul of salmon was declared unfit for human consumption.