Impacts of the Nuclear Power Plant Accident and the Start of Trial Operations in Fukushima Fisheries

Abstract

The large-scale release of radioactive substances from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant operated by the Tokyo Electric Power Company in March 2011 caused significant damage to local fisheries. The Fukushima Prefectural Federation of Fisheries Cooperative Associations immediately suspended all commercial fishing activities within Fukushima. The national government issued instructions prohibiting the sale of certain marine products caught in the waters off Fukushima Prefecture due to food safety concerns. The prohibition is gradually being lifted; in June 2012, the Fisheries Cooperative Associations resumed commercial fishing of three species (two octopus species and one shellfish species) as trial operations. Subsequently, the list has expanded, and as of January 2015, 58 species have been approved for trial operations. The scale of operations is far smaller than before the tsunami and nuclear accident. A full recovery of Fukushima fisheries cannot be realized until the government lifts prohibitions on the sale of all remaining marine species, and the timing of such a decision remains unclear.

Impacts of the Fukushima Nuclear Accident on Fishery Products and Fishing Industry

“…However, the Japanese and the Fukushima prefectural governments did not revoke the fishing licenses in Fukushima Prefecture, because the Fukushima FCA voluntarily continued to stop the fishing operations off Fukushima for the food safety from March 15, 2011 by the monthly update. In February 2012, the Fukushima FCA established the Fukushima Prefectural Fisheries Reconstruction Committee (Fukushima FRC) with external experts in order to reconstruct the fishery industry and restart the fishing operation off Fukushima [10].…”

“…In June 2012, based on the advice of the Fukushima FRC, the Fukushima FCA decided to carry out the trial fishing operation off Fukushima. The trial fishing operation has several limitations: the target species, the fishing methods, the number of days a week for operation, landing ports, the amount of landed fishes, the number of vessels involved in operations and the areas for operations [10]. The areas for the trial fishing operations are shown in Fig.…”

“…Additionally, not all fishing boats and fishing ports in Fukushima Prefecture were damaged by the aftermath of the earthquake. However, the Fukushima FCA decided to voluntarily stop the fishing operations off Fukushima for the food safety on March 15, 2011 [10]. Consequently, this voluntary stop of the fishing operations has been continuing from March 2011 to the present (August, 2019), by the monthly update.…”

Agricultural Implications of the Fukushima Nuclear Accident (III)

“…After March 12th, the large-scale release of radioactive substances from the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant occurred. On March 15th, 2011, the Fukushima Prefectural Federation of Fisheries Cooperative Association (hereafter referred to as the Fukushima FCA) voluntarily stopped fishing operations in the waters inside of Fukushima Prefecture (Yagi 2014(Yagi , 2016. Some fishing activities in the prefectures neighboring Fukushima (namely Miyagi and Ibaraki) were also suspended after the Fukushima disaster, but most of these were subsequently lifted within 2 years (Ibaraki Prefecture 2014; Miyagi Prefecture 2014).…”

“…Some fishing activities in the prefectures neighboring Fukushima (namely Miyagi and Ibaraki) were also suspended after the Fukushima disaster, but most of these were subsequently lifted within 2 years (Ibaraki Prefecture 2014; Miyagi Prefecture 2014). Neither the national nor the prefectural governments revoked fishing licenses in Fukushima (Yagi 2016). However, the national government did provide legally binding sales prohibitions on certain marine products caught in the waters off Fukushima Prefecture based on food safety requirements (Yagi 2016).…”