Update: Response Team Assists Green Boat and Blue Boat Group as Tropical Storm Hagupit is expected to hit Yap

2 December 2014 - Another breaking point for Yap as tropical storm Hagupit is expected to make landfall as typhoon in Yap. The National and State responders along with the assistance of local and international partners have taken collaborative approach to facilitate typhoon preparedness and proactive readiness to assist all persons from the blue boat and green boat group in advance of Hagupit that is expected to hit Yap Wednesday afternoon or Thursday.  

The typhoon watch has been activated at state level. It has been reported that the response team in Yap is evacuating all persons on the two boats to secure their safety by placing them into appropriate shelter on land. It is also expected that Hagupit is to intensify over the next few days that could later develop into a typhoon. 

The FSS Independence currently scheduled for Satawal may possibly be redirected if needed to aid possible rescue efforts.

Two Papua New Guinean Drifters rescued by Yapese fishing vessel

On November 23, 2014, at approximately 4:00 p.m., the Yap Seagull found a small stranded boat drifting in the FSM EEZ with 2 men from Papua New Guinea (PNG), Michael Bolong, 54, and Ambros Wavut, 28, located approximately 116 nautical miles south of Kapingamarangi Island.

Michael Bolong and Ambros Wavut met by the
medical team and appropriate authorities

The Yapese fishing vessel came across the PNG castaways after the men had been adrift for months. The Yap Seagull crewmen took the two men aboard the vessel and delivered them to the nearest port, arriving in Pohnpei on Saturday, November 29, 2014, at around 2:00 p.m. The drifters were cleared by appropriate authorities and claimed that a third person who was with them did not survive the ordeal. The third person, Francis Dimansol, 48 years old, allegedly died from severe health conditions that occurred while out at sea.

It was reported that Bolong and his nephew, Wavut, departed Lihir Island bound for Tanga Island on August 15, 2014, but the small boat ran out of fuel and went adrift after encountering stormy weather.  The older drifter recalls the harsh conditions they endured including exposure to the sun and surviving off of rainwater and fish.

“After weeks, a month, we were forgotten” Bolong said, based on his experience with rescue missions being cancelled following failed attempts to recover missing persons.

The boat they were found on was abandoned after they were rescued. Only their personal belongings and boat engine were brought on board. Both survivors are fine and showed no signs of serious health problems after months of drifting although they were admitted to the Pohnpei State Hospital for observation.

After months of being adrift at sea, Bolong (left) and Wavut (right)
are about to step on land again

Under the Admiralty and Maritime law of the FSM, the master of a vessel is required to “render assistance to any person found at sea and in distress or in danger of being lost if this assistance can be rendered without endangering the vessel, crew or passengers.”  19 FSMC Section 425.  While it is reported that some vessels have failed to render assistance to persons that they encounter at sea who are in distress, the Yap Seagull performed admirably and rendered assistance without question. 

Authorities from the FSM National Government, including the Department of Justice, Department of Health, and the Department of Foreign Affairs, as well as Pohnpei State officials including medical personnel from the Pohnpei State Hospital, met the Yap Seagull upon its entry to Pohnpei Port and provided further assistance to the two survivors. The FSM Department of Foreign Affairs is currently in contact with the PNG government to repatriate the drifters back to PNG.

Green Boat Accesses Yap Harbor Seeking Aid

The Sinar Harapan 02, a green boat in distress involving 36 undocumented persons, entered Yap harbor on November 18, 2014, seeking food, water and fuel because they had run out of provisions a few days before their arrival.

The FSM National government and State of Yap government are working together utilizing national, state, and local resources to assist the urgent needs of the green boat group of individuals, which assistance is also being supplemented by help from the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the Micronesian Society of Red Cross, and other international agencies and organizations. The National and State governments, along with their local and international partners, are actively committed to working together efficiently and effectively to ensure cross-collaboration based on morning briefings covering daily needs, projections, on-hand resources, and legal updates.  

Congress approved $25,000 from the General Fund of the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) on November 26, 2014, to provide emergency support “to defray humanitarian assistance costs of the emergent humanitarian situation in Yap State, and for other purposes.” It is expected that President Manny Mori will take immediate action to sign and implement into law as soon as it is transmitted from Congress. In addition to the $25,000, other national, state, and international funds are being utilized to assist ongoing efforts to determine the status of these undocumented individuals while meeting their humanitarian needs.

Aboard the green boat were 2 persons from Indonesia, 16 from Nepal, and 18 from India. Because the individuals arrived without any documentation, information as to their identities is being confirmed. In addition, mixed reports and information provided by the green boat group has delayed confirmation of their legal status. According to officials, the undocumented individuals have not sought refugee status from the FSM since their arrival although they originally claimed they were going to seek refugee status in Hawaii.  The FSM Department of Foreign Affairs is monitoring the situation and reaching out to various governments that may be involved.  It is hoped that the legal status of all members of the green boat group will be established within the next week, which will help determine the next steps needed to repatriate individuals, if appropriate. 

4 Vietnamese Vessels apprehended for illegal fishing

Yap State authorities managed to apprehend 4 out of 9 Quang Ngai vessels believed to have engaged in illegal fishing in Yap waters.  According to reports, 56 crewmen were on board the 4 fishing vessels. This type of Illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing within the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) is not a new phenomenon, but an increasing global concern.

The captains of the 4 Vietnamese vessels, presumed to have engaged in IUU fishing, have been charged in State court.  Additionally, the National government is investigating the captains for IUU violations and other national laws.  The FSM Department of Justice (DOJ) is also reaching out to the Palau DOJ on similar incidents that have recently taken place in Palau. According to officials, it is believed that Yap State is dealing with a similar group of individuals that recently carried out IUU fishing activities in Palau.

The FSM Department of Foreign Affairs has been notified and is currently working with the relevant governments involved with a view to repatriating appropriate individuals. In the recent past, the Palau government repatriated Vietnamese citizens to Vietnam, and because the current situation in Yap is similar in nature, Palau will be sharing its repatriation experience with the FSM. As members of Parties to the Nauru Agreement (PNA), the Palau and FSM governments are working together to assist other law enforcement agencies.  

The 56 crewmen are being provided humanitarian assistance through the cooperation of the National and State governments, as well as through donations provided by the local Yapese community and international aid.