Japanese fishery industry reiterates opposition to Fukushima water release
21 Aug 2023 06:21pm
Picture for illustrative purposes - FILE PIX
Masanobu Sakamoto, head of Japan's National Federation of Fisheries Cooperative Associations, said the group continued to oppose the release, which would erode the reputation of seafood from Fukushima and nearby areas.
The meeting came before Kishida is expected to hold a gathering of relevant cabinet ministers on Tuesday morning to formally determine the starting date of the release of the wastewater from the wrecked Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant into the Pacific Ocean.
Acquiring approval from the fishery industry is a crucial factor for the Japanese government and the Tokyo Electric Power Company, the operator of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant operator, as they have pledged not to go ahead with the ocean release without fishermen's consent, but no decision has yet been made regarding what to do with that promise.
An opinion poll showed on Sunday that the disapproval rate of the Japanese government headed by Kishida has reached 50 per cent for the first time since last December, with a total of 88.1 percent surveyed expressing concerns over dumping radioactive wastewater into the ocean - BERNAMA
