Japan, Easing Fishermen's Concerns Is Crucial... "No Discharge Without Stakeholders' Understanding"

Yastoshi Nishimura, Japan's Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry, visited Fukushima ahead of the release of contaminated water from the nuclear power plant and emphasized his commitment to keeping the promise of "not disposing of contaminated water without the understanding of stakeholders."

Nishimura Yasutoshi, Japanese Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry
Photo by Yonhap News

According to Kyodo News, Minister Nishimura held a press conference after the cabinet meeting that day and stated, "It is difficult to uniformly judge the scope and level of understanding of stakeholders, but we intend to comply with the promise," adding that he aims to build trust with local fishermen through polite persuasion.

The day before, Minister Nishimura also visited the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant to explain the safety of the contaminated water discharge. After thoroughly checking the emergency shut-off valve that stops the discharge in case of an emergency, he told reporters, "We are steadily responding to ensure safety and are making every effort."

He continued, "Disposal of contaminated water is an unavoidable task in the process of Fukushima's reconstruction," emphasizing, "The government will confirm safety measures and address damages caused by the spread of rumors and misinformation."

Currently, the Japanese government is making every effort to persuade fishermen in Fukushima Prefecture and neighboring areas regarding the contaminated water discharge plan. Fishermen criticize the government and Tokyo Electric Power Company for breaking the promise made in 2015 to the Fukushima Fisheries Cooperative Association that contaminated water would not be discharged without the consent of stakeholders, accusing them of forcing the release.

In response, the Miyagi Prefectural Assembly, a local government adjacent to the Fukushima nuclear power plant, unanimously passed a statement opposing the plan to discharge contaminated water into the ocean on the 4th. They also demanded that the government actively compensate fishermen if they suffer damage due to the spread of false information. The National Federation of Fisheries Cooperative Associations of Japan, which has 300,000 fishermen as members, also adopted a resolution opposing the Fukushima contaminated water discharge for the fourth consecutive year on the 29th of last month.

Minister Nishimura plans to hold talks with the Fukushima Fisheries Cooperative Association that day and personally work to calm public opinion. He said, "In the meeting with the Fukushima Fisheries Cooperative Association, I plan to directly explain the contents of the IAEA report and the measures to ensure safety," adding, "It is important to strengthen communication and trust with stakeholders, so we will respond to their concerns and anxieties."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.