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Iwaki fishermen resume operations off Fukushima for first time since disaster

22 Comments

Fishermen in the port of Iwaki in southern Fukushima Prefecture resumed operations Friday for the first time since the March 11, 2011 disaster.

Thirteen trawlers left port at 2 a.m. and returned before noon with 1.3 tons of seven species, including squid, horse crab and round greeneye fish, Fuji TV reported.

The local cooperative has set up its own radiation monitoring devices and and an official said none of Friday's catch showed radiation above the permitted safety level.

The fishermen are only allowed to fish more than 40 kilometers away from the stricken Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant and in waters at a depth of 150 meters or more.

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22 Comments
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Sure it poses no immediate health concern....

-2 ( +3 / -5 )

The local cooperative has set up its own radiation monitoring devices and an official said none of Friday’s catch showed radiation above the permitted safety level.

And we're expected to trust them?

7 ( +8 / -1 )

I know where they can store the fish...and it will keep them out of the sun!

0 ( +4 / -4 )

It is difficult to have faith in this testing. If the testing was done by a third party people would have more faith. It's also interesting to note, the article states "none of the fish caught showed radiation above the permitted safety level" So, how much radiation was actually in the fish? Obviously, there was some. Also, is this the old safety level or the recently upped safety level? Will these fish be labelled as coming from Iwaki or will they just get mingled in with the rest of the fish at the supermarket? I do feel sorry for the fishermen, but the fisheries dept is going to have to try a lot harder to win back consumer confidence. Let's start with Abe-San and the CEO of TEPCO choking down on a few of these fish. That should help.

6 ( +10 / -4 )

Well, best of luck. Yesterday (not on JT but in other news) there were no less than two reports of MAJOR leakages found from the plant, one of which saw an increase of 6500 times the radiation of the day before leaking out, and beta emitting radiation at that. Meanwhile, on Wednesday, Abe reiterated that everything is under control, specifically talking about the leaks.

I do wish these fishers the best, but I ask only one thing... that whatever they yield to be sold be labelled as where it is from, so nobody buys it.

5 ( +9 / -4 )

It needs to be served at Tepco HQ and the government offices. Let them eat it to set an example if they want the public to eat it.

Fisherman need to earn a living but public safety corms first. Tough situation for those fisherman.

4 ( +6 / -2 )

The fishermen are only allowed to fish more than 40 kilometers away from the stricken Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant and in waters at a depth of 150 meters or more.

You know because the fish keep their distance too, right?

5 ( +8 / -3 )

They need to earn trust and one way would be to have them open to scrutiny by clearly labeling where their catch was caught.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Come by now surely everyone knows that 3rd party testing is a MUST & info posted.

None of this self testing BS & saying levels were low, that does NOTHING!

6 ( +8 / -2 )

Honestly I feel bad for the fishermen, this disaster ruined entire communities, even today. I bet they were glad to be fishing in territories that theyre used to. I know many people are suspecious of their catches, but hopefully they testing will help.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Heza!: "...but hopefully they testing will help."

If you ask a desperate person trying to sell you something if it's good, they'll say 'yes' irregardless of whether it is or isn't. As GW said, the only way it can be truly verified is by third party testing and not those with vested interests -- in this case, international monitors. But that will never happen, and I can guarantee you that within a few weeks we'll be hearing about how fish with levels higher than the permissable amount of radiation were found in such and such supermarkets, and that more has already believed to have been bought and consumed.

I feel very sorry for these farmers as well, but they need to understand that that area will never be fit for fishing again in their lifetimes. And in order to do that, they need to be compensated by the government and TEPCO and be able to start again somewhere ELSE. And since THAT will also never happen, expect a lot of fish to be labelled 'Pacific Ocean' and 'product of Japan' from now on instead of where it specifically comes from.

3 ( +5 / -2 )

Sustenance fishing? Maybe OK, otherwise...

1 ( +1 / -0 )

The best way for them to build my trust is to not fish in Fukushima at all. Case closed.

3 ( +6 / -3 )

should be for scientific research purpose (?) yes, like that whale meat on Japanese dinning table !

3 ( +4 / -1 )

You know because the fish keep their distance too, right?

Aizo, TEPCO put little signs all over the ocean around Fukushima that the little fishies can read warning them not to come within 40kms of the nuclear plant.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

TEPCO put little signs all over the ocean around Fukushima that the little fishies can read warning them not to come within 40kms of the nuclear plant.

I saw this on telly last night. What they actually did was catch a load of fish, slit them open (huge cut) and put a tracking device inside, then release the fish back in the water. The poor things could barely stay upright, never mind swim any distance. Then the 'researchers' produced the data from the tracking devices that 'proved' the fish didn't move very far from their own bit of the ocean.

It's my bet the poor butchered fish passed on soon after they were thrown back, and any movement recorded at all would have been from tides and currents (and other fishes' mealtimes), not from the fish doing any swimming.

They have no proof at all that fish (healthy fish not pulled down to the sea bed by a huge tracking device) are not swimming freely from the fishing areas to the area round Dai-ichi, and back again.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

It would be nice to know what sort of fish they catch so we know what to avoid.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Then you will hear that some fish were mislabel the location were caught , more news on JT

1 ( +1 / -0 )

I guessed the fishermen missed the memo about tons of radioactive-poisoned water getting dumped into the oceans.

Also, @Cleo: J-Science at it's best. A science of convenience.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

J-Science at it's best. A science of convenience.

More like nuclear science at its best. What's more convenient than using one of the most dangerous substances on earth to basically boil water, take in the money hand over fist, ignore the problem of how to deal with the toxic-for-thousands-of-years nuclear waste, and get the government to bale you out when things go pear-shaped?

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Great! This means Shinzo Abe can now add Fukushima fish to his daily meal of Fukushima rice. Isn't it wonderful that the Prime Minister of Japan is more confident than TEPCO or the NRA? Let Abe drink Fukushima sake as well. I am sure it is really nourishing.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

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