Tsunami: Fisheries hit by safety fears
The nuclear crisis has spread fear among people all over the world, but fishermen in areas around the Fukushima No. 1 atomic plant say the perception of danger is unfairly affecting their livelihoods.
Although few of their catches are contaminated with radioactive materials beyond allowable limits, buyers and consumers have refused to buy, knocking down the market prices of seafood.
“How long should we wait until the situation gets better? For days? For months?” asked Tetsuro Tsuchida, head of Kujukuri Makiami Fisheries Cooperative.
“Sardines usually sell for ¥40 per kilo. But now the price is down to about ¥15 to ¥20,” Tsuchida said.
“I want to know if we’re going to be compensated for the loss. If so, who will do it? The prefectural, or central government?” he asked.
Highly radioactive water from the troubled Fukushima nuclear plant flowed into the sea until April 6. The operator also intentionally dumped about 10,000 tons of low-level radioactive water into the Pacific to empty tanks to hold far more toxic water from the crippled reactor buildings.
Read the rest at The Japan Times.
