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Japan eyes aid for fisheries hit by China's seafood import ban

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They took a huge dump and now want to clean it up with a single piece of tissue paper!

-11 ( +16 / -27 )

"The potential impact felt by those who have been exporting (to China) will be severe. We must seriously consider what we can do to rescue them,"

In one just one word it will be subsidy

https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2022/12/13/national/defense-spending-tohoku-tax/

-15 ( +8 / -23 )

Idiots! I can not believe that the government didnt think that China WOULDN'T enforce a boycott.

-6 ( +17 / -23 )

Jgov loves a good subsidy. Every other nation wants to know where to get these matic money trees.

-10 ( +11 / -21 )

Talk about an own goal!

All those Johnny Pencil-Pushers, all those Poindexters, all those egghead desk jockeys preparing for this event with such a massive global media attention, and they didn’t take the neighbours’ potential reactions into account?!

-8 ( +7 / -15 )

In 2018, the Fuqing nuclear power plant in China released 52 trillion bq of tritium discharge into the oceans, which is THREE times the amount of estimated tritium discharge being released from Fukushima over a decade.

China's fishing fleet has so depleted its own coastal waters that it has enaged in a worldwide operation of fishing in other nation's territories. Even the famed Galagapos Islands near Ecuador is not safe from Chinese fishing patrols. The Yangtze river is one of the world's largest contributors of plastic waste into the oceans. The rivers throughout China are so polluted that many citizens do not even have safe drinking water. The list goes on and on, yet Chinese officials and their brainwashed citizens want to grandstand about how Japan is destroying the world's oceans?

Unbelievable even by their low standards.

4 ( +17 / -13 )

Japan has allocated 80 billion yen to cope with such damage and help fishermen to carry on with their business. However, the funds are not destined for those in the seafood processing industry.

According to an article in Nikkei last month …

The overall catch of fish is only about 20% of what it was before the accident.

The government in fiscal 2021 established a fund of 30 billion yen ($207.6 million) to encourage the development of more sales channels for marine products. In addition to this, a 50 billion yen fund was set up in fiscal 2022 to support the development of fishing grounds and other activities.

2 ( +4 / -2 )

Perhaps they could have spent the money on other alternatives in dealing with the contaminated water. Dumping into the ocean was the cheapest option but they didn’t sufficiently consider the repercussions on the image of the Japanese food industry.

-13 ( +8 / -21 )

In 2018, the Fuqing nuclear power plant in China released 52 trillion bq of tritium discharge into the oceans, which is THREE times the amount of estimated tritium discharge being released from Fukushima over a decade.

Yes, but their ALPS filtration system actually filtered out the other radiative isotopes, unlike the Japanese made Tepco ones.

-19 ( +4 / -23 )

As usual, China playing dirty. The CCP has no shame!!

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-66613158.amp

-1 ( +5 / -6 )

Send the bill to TEPCO!

-3 ( +11 / -14 )

One theory as to why Xi (because China means Xi these days) is reacting this way is because he is preparing to go to war over Taiwan, which would inevitably involve attacks on US bases in Japan, at the very least. He needs to get the public worked up against Japan to support his goals. Not pleasant to think about, but sounds credible.

-3 ( +4 / -7 )

Yes, but their ALPS filtration system actually filtered out the other radiative isotopes, unlike the Japanese made Tepco ones.

False. It had been widely reported that TEPCO has been using an advanced liquid processing system (ALPS) and other equipment to remove the radioactive substances contained in the contaminated water to levels below the national regulatory standard.

However, radioactive tritium remains in the treated water. Tritium cannot be removed with existing technology.

3 ( +6 / -3 )

Maybe this is an opportunity for Japan to stop fishing in that area for a few seasons. That will give the fish population an opportunity to restore and after a few seasons Japan will be able to show that the fish is safe for human consumption and they will have a great harvest to sell at higher prices due to shortages created over time.

0 ( +6 / -6 )

Not only do us tax payers have to foot the bill for TEPCO from the disaster, but we have to now help the fishermen keep their livelihoods? I would happily support the industry by buying and eating fish as normal, but if they get this handout, then they can whistle for any extra money. And it’s not as if they won’t increase prices anyway, so they’ll get treble money? SMH…..

5 ( +8 / -3 )

The best thing Japan can do is to buy out the fishermen's equipment and businesses, since Japan's fishing export will never recover following the release of Fukushima radioactive water.

-9 ( +8 / -17 )

aaronagstring

The cost to date for the nuclear disaster is about ¥30 trillion and eventually, it will cost ¥100 trillion.

4 ( +5 / -1 )

Send the bill to TEPCO!

I wholeheartedly agree. After their incessant screw ups and insincere apologies, they should actually put their money where their mouth is this time.

-9 ( +6 / -15 )

Cause, meet effect.

Japan's imposition of export controls on chip making tools to align with a U.S. policy restricting China's ability to produce advanced semiconductors is worrying some officials in Tokyo who believe a combative U.S. approach may hamper coordination and needlessly provoke Beijing.

https://www.reuters.com/technology/space/japan-aligns-with-us-chip-curbs-china-some-tokyo-feel-uneasy-2023-07-24/

-1 ( +3 / -4 )

That's it.

I'm going into fishing and rice farming.

Money for nothing!

4 ( +7 / -3 )

Cause, meet effect.

Japan's imposition of export controls on chip making tools to align with a U.S. policy restricting China's ability to produce advanced semiconductors is worrying some officials in Tokyo who believe a combative U.S. approach may hamper coordination and needlessly provoke Beijing.

https://www.reuters.com/technology/space/japan-aligns-with-us-chip-curbs-china-some-tokyo-feel-uneasy-2023-07-24/

While I am taking Japan's side on the whole water release issue, there does seem to be a pretty apparent double standard when it comes to provocations.

The same Ganbare Nippon types that endlessly fumed when China banned the seafood imports were practically cheerleading when Japan implemented tech export controls on its literal biggest trading partner.

-7 ( +4 / -11 )

I wonder how the cost of storing the water continually would stack up against this ban and the reputational damage Japan is getting in East Asia. It feels like Japan as a whole is subsidizing the damage borne of Tepco's debacles and mismanagement.

-3 ( +4 / -7 )

Why don't they just sell it to another country and then sell it to China.. then it's no longer Japanese fish. Oh wait they are already doing that...

-1 ( +3 / -4 )

Hit back Japan. Hit China hard!

-7 ( +1 / -8 )

Send the bill to TEPCO!

Absolutely.

But not like last time!! This time get it hankod,

C/O TEPCO ( 49% Private Shareholder )

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

The diluted and treated tritium when released into the ocean will be almost negligible. It will be no more dangerous than the radiation levels we have all around us. This constant hoo ha is becoming very tiresome, and if there was a real threat i would be standing on my imaginary soap box and telling the world about it.

4 ( +5 / -1 )

Was that China's fault?

No, it was Japan and her government negligence was the cause!

-9 ( +2 / -11 )

Yes, but their ALPS filtration system actually filtered out the other radiative isotopes, unlike the Japanese made Tepco ones.

Spoken like a true CCP mouthpiece. The ALPS at Fukushima filters out 62 other radionuclides outside of tritium. This is the internet, and people need to understand that anything can be confirmed or debunked with a few minutes of simple online searching. Just stating opinions without any basis in fact doesn't cut it.

3 ( +7 / -4 )

More Chinese tourist are coming in, domestic consumption will increase, because they will eat more fish in Japan now, as they can no longer eat clean-fresh fish back in China, all they can buy are the heavy-metal-polluted fish the CCP love to feed their population.

2 ( +5 / -3 )

TEPCO must stop this rape of the worlds pearl oceans.

Releasing radioactive wastes in the oceans for a very long 30 years is an abuse that borders on environmental poisoning.

This is a crime against all humanity.

Japan must listen to marine biologists and stop what they are doin because the Pacific Ocean doesn't belong to Tokyo.

"The US National Association of Marine Laboratories released a statement in December 2022 saying it was not convinced by Japan's data.

And marine biologist Robert Richmond, from the University of Hawaii, told the BBC: "We've seen an inadequate radiological, ecological impact assessment that makes us very concerned that Japan would not only be unable to detect what's getting into the water, sediment and organisms, but if it does, there is no recourse to remove it... there's no way to get the genie back in the bottle."

-8 ( +4 / -12 )

Suddenly people are concerned about the oceans. Where have they been for the last 70 years?

5 ( +7 / -2 )

The apparently cheapest option ends up to be the most expensive one.

Good job TEPCO!

-5 ( +3 / -8 )

Why should the gov't use taxpayer's money to subsidize the fishing industries for a problem caused by a private corporation. Let TEPCO pay.

1 ( +3 / -2 )

You are assuming so many things.

Of all the options they had, this one is actually the cheapest.

But now that they have to subsidize the fisheries for the next 30+ years. It became the most expensive.

-6 ( +2 / -8 )

51% of TEPCO is owned by the government.

3 ( +5 / -2 )

When it comes to the nuclear disaster there are no cheap options.

2 ( +5 / -3 )

The Nuclear Citizen Committee, funded by TEPCO to figure out how to deal with the situation proposed: "large tank storage" and "mortar solidification" . Have been ignored.

The one they didn't propose, the dumping of waterwaste in the oceans, has been forced by the j-gov.

-6 ( +2 / -8 )

That is open to debate.

Your opinion is not enough to dismiss that proposals.

It's very arrogant from you to say that the The Nuclear Citizen Committee is in the wrong.

-6 ( +2 / -8 )

wallaceToday  04:51 pm JST

51% of TEPCO is owned by the government.

True that but it means that 49% is owned privately so 100% of the burden should not fall on taxpayers.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

MilesTeg

   wallace

   51% of TEPCO is owned by the government.

> True that but it means that 49% is owned privately so 100% of the burden should not fall on taxpayers.

You are forgetting the Nuclear Liability Law. In the event of a nuclear accident, all power companies are limited to a maximum liability of ¥120 billion. To be fair to TEPCO I think they have paid out about ¥12 trillion.

Whatever way the cookie crumbles the taxpayer is on the hook for the tab.

1 ( +4 / -3 )

A politician.

Yeah.

Let's trust a politician.

-9 ( +0 / -9 )

You are putting your trust in a politician over the The Nuclear Citizen Committee.

I insist that the proposals should be open to debate.

-9 ( +1 / -10 )

That's wishful thinking.

There's no publications, reportings, meeting notes.

Such a critical consideration should have been published all over the news already.

-6 ( +1 / -7 )

Suddenly people are concerned about the oceans. Where have they been for the last 70 years?

Not everyone is over 70 like you, and there hasn't been another nuclear plant meltdown in Japan in those 70 years.

-9 ( +3 / -12 )

But there have been several nuclear incidents causing death and injuries over the years that have been nuclear related.

-6 ( +4 / -10 )

All these government and TEPCO sponsored scraps of information dumbed down for public consumption might fool the majority of the population into meekly accepting radioactive pollution as an issue of ‘degrees’ and below arbitrary official limits but repeating the same line ad nauseam , will not change the basic truth that radioactive elements are extremely hazardous

-12 ( +1 / -13 )

But there have been several nuclear incidents causing death and injuries over the years that have been nuclear related.

In Japan? So? And dumping treated radioactive water into Japan's oceans in the same amounts as here?

There have been several incidents of people falling off ladders and hurting themselves too for that matter.

Equally irrelevant.

And the original comment has nothing to do with deaths:

Suddenly people are concerned about the oceans. Where have they been for the last 70 years?

-9 ( +2 / -11 )

Here we go again Tax Payers Cash covering TEPCO and it's screw up's. why isn't TEPCO eying supporting these fisheries???

-3 ( +3 / -6 )

If TEPCO only had high enough concrete walls protecting it's cooling water pumps and generators as was recommended by safety inspectors prior to 2011 quake we would be where we are now. The nations is paying the price for this unforgivable screw up.

0 ( +4 / -4 )

If TEPCO only had high enough concrete walls protecting it's cooling water pumps and generators as was recommended by the safety inspectors prior to 2011 quake, we wouldn't be where we are now. The whole nations is paying the price for this unforgivable screw up.

-1 ( +3 / -4 )

gcFd1

   Suddenly people are concerned about the oceans. Where have they been for the last 70 years?

> Not everyone is over 70 like you, and there hasn't been another nuclear plant meltdown in Japan in those 70 years.

Your snarly comment is not helpful to anyone. You don't have to be over 70 to know something about what has been happening for many decades. Experts and other people have warned about the destruction of the oceans, overfishing, and the dumping of highly dangerous chemicals and nuclear waste. Huge amounts of plastic waste. Now some people are screaming about the release of the Fukushima wastewater. Nothing to do with nuclear plant meltdowns alone. There have been several serious accidents in Japan.

5 ( +9 / -4 )

That's it.

I'm going into fishing and rice farming.

Money for nothing!

Maybe China (and other countries) should put a 778% import duty upon Japanese rice.

-7 ( +1 / -8 )

The late Hirohito (Showa) was a Marine Biologist. I can't help wondering if the current Head of State approves of this. Of course, he has little say on the matter.

-6 ( +1 / -7 )

METI Minister Kajiyama briefly addresses it, and why it has been rejected, in a 2021 press conference: Solidification is accompanied by tritiated steam, which is undesirable

https://www.meti.go.jp/speeches/kaiken/2021/20210413001.html

The reasoning of METI's Kajiyama makes little to non sense.

He mentions that the mortar solidification would release tritiated steam.

That tritiated steam he is referring only happens when you are not using the correct mortar or the water-cement ratio is too high.

For the refusal of using large tank storage , I haven't heard any excuse that makes any sense either. He chooses to ignore the question.

-4 ( +1 / -5 )

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