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TOKYO: Representatives of the Japanese fishing industry on Thursday (October 8) urged the government not to allow tons of contaminated water from the Fukushima nuclear plant to be released into the sea, saying it would undo years of work to restore its reputation.
Tokyo Electric has collected more than one million tons of contaminated water since the plant was shut down by an earthquake and tsunami in 2011.
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The water is stored in huge tanks that crowd the site and it says it will run out of storage space by 2022.
“We are totally against a release of polluted water to the ocean as it could have a catastrophic impact on the future of Japan’s fishing industry,” Hiroshi Kishi, president of JF Zengyoren, said in a meeting with government officials.
JF Zengyoren is a national federation of fishing cooperatives in Japan.
Earlier this year, an expert panel advising the Japanese government on the disposal of radioactive water from the destroyed Fukushima plant recommended its release into the ocean.
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Japan’s Ministry of Industry, which has been listening to opinions since April, invited representatives from fisheries to a seventh round of such hearings.
“We strongly oppose a discharge of polluted water into the ocean as it will clearly cause reputational damage,” said Toshihito Ono, head of fish wholesalers and processors in Fukushima prefecture.
Any release could lead other countries to tighten restrictions on imports of Japanese seafood, reversing a recent trend toward relaxation, said JF Zengyoren’s Kishi.
Both representatives did not propose alternatives, but Kishi asked the government to consider more and obtain as much information as possible before making its decision.
Kiyoshi Ejima, the state minister of economy, trade and industry, said the government will take their views into account and make a responsible decision.
“We need to make a decision as soon as possible as this is a top priority issue,” he told reporters after the meeting, but did not give a deadline.
