Unalaska, AK – The F/V Mar-Gun clean up is entering the next phase - ship removal. The Coast Guard, along with help from Magone Marine, removed 18,895 gallons of fuel and oil from the grounded fishing vessel on St. George Island. sa they used two different methods to complete the task.

"Initially the bulk of the fuel was removed using pumps and transfer hoses which were suspended over the water to a tank on shore. For the last portion weather conditions worsened and we weren't real comfortable with that operation," explained Coast Guard Petty Officer Sara Francis. "So we adapted things to use pumps on board to pump into barrels or drums that were then lifted by helicopter to shore."

The next step involves putting anchors into the sea about 1,000 feet from the 112-foot stern trawler and attaching winches to pull the vessel off of Staraya Beach on the north side of the island.

"The reason that they're using the winches and ground tackle as opposed to towing it with a vessel is that you get a lot more force with the winches and the anchors than you would if you were using a tug, for example," said Francis.

The vessel will be towed 265 miles back to Unalaska for repairs. The Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation will help conduct a subsistence species sampling study on the beaches to check for pollution.

The Mar-Gun was fishing for pollock when it went aground on March 5 on St. George Island on a subsistence beach near fur seal rookies and historic sites. Special crews worked for two weeks to remove possible pollutants from the environmentally sensitive area. The boat is salvageable.