More Tsunami Debris Washes Up on Alaska's Shores

The latest find is fly swatters with team logos on the beaches of Kodiak

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By KTVA CBS 11 News
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Story Created: Apr 30, 2012 at 8:42 PM AKDT

Story Updated: May 1, 2012 at 10:36 AM AKDT

ALASKA - Over five million tons of debris was washed out to sea from the Japanese tsunami last year and now it's starting to show up on beaches in Alaska.

The latest find is fly swatters with team logos on the beaches of Kodiak.

So far, about 20 people have found them and it's become something of a game as they try and collect as many teams as possible.

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, with winds and ocean currents constantly changing it makes it difficult know how much more debris will end up on Alaska’s shores.

So far fly swatters with the Chicago Bears logo have been the biggest find.

Check out the interactive map with the various teams' fly swatter locations by clicking here.
 

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Chip said on Monday, Apr 30 at 10:37 PM

What proof that these fly-swatters are from Japan? We have collected about 100 of these on the shoreline and there is no indication that these are from Japan all they say on them is "Team Sports America" and they cover college and professional football teams. Probably from china.

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Frank G. said on Tuesday, May 1 at 12:16 AM

I bit of better investigative reporting would be better, I have one of these fly-swatters, it does not say "made in Japan". Many items get washed ashore in Alaska...and not from Japan. Get a grip!

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alicia said on Tuesday, May 1 at 7:46 AM

I have on of these swatters, my aunt gave it to me and she found towns in kodiak and there is foreighn writing on there. People are sounding so ridiculous doubting that this debris is coming from anywhere else except Japan. Maybe just a shippiing container of fly swatters and boueys crashed. Probably not. Duh! So skeptical over some flyswatters.. hundreds of them!!

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coldnak said on Tuesday, May 1 at 8:41 AM

Will they send me one? LOL. My neighbors own livestock and the flies are all over my deck. I have searched in every store in the valley trying to find a fly swatter and it seems like the only ones to be found in AK are washing up on the shores.

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Chris Pallister said on Tuesday, May 1 at 8:57 AM

During our annual cleanup project in the summer of 2011 we found these exact fly swatters on beaches in the Gore Point region only a couple of months after the tsunami. They are most likely from a container ship spill and not the tsunami.

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Emerald Isle said on Tuesday, May 1 at 10:15 AM

I found 3 (Yankees, Steelers & U of OK)of those 2 weeks ago on a tiny island of off Kodiak. I also found five basketballs, a football and a soccer ball on three separate beaches. All the balls were from the Fantasy Balloon Company and are made from nerf material.

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Joshua said on Tuesday, May 15 at 4:59 AM

Those are belong to my company. We lost a container in sea in Jan.

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