Fukushima radiation kills fishing industry
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Fishermen in the Fukushima area, the site of the greatest single radiation contamination of the ocean in history, fear their industry is ruined. While boats still go to sea, their catches are being withheld from sale and instead the fish is sent for analysis. And it's not just Japanese fishermen recording radioactive hauls. Contamination is turning up thousands of kilometres away in fish caught on the other side of the Pacific Ocean.
Source: AM | Duration: 3min 1sec
Topics: fishing-aquaculture, disasters-and-accidents, nuclear-accident, environment, nuclear-issues, pollution, water-pollution, rural, japan
TONY EASTLEY: The fallout continues from the Fukushima disaster in Japan and it's threatening the nation's huge fishing industry and beyond.
The greatest single radioactive contamination of the ocean in history has some frightening consequences. A lot of Japan's catch is withheld from sale and instead examined by scientists.
And contamination is even turning up thousands of kilometres away.
North Asia correspondent Mark Willacy:
(Sound of fishing boat engine)
MARK WILLACY: It's 4am and Akira Kaya leaves the safety of port, steering his fishing boat east towards the blood red of the dawn horizon.
For decades the Fukushima fisherman earned his living from the sea, but then came the tsunami and the nuclear meltdowns it triggered just up the coast.
(Sound of Akira Kaya speaking)
"Of course I am angry with the nuclear plant operator TEPCO," Akira Kaya tells me. "It's because I am a fisherman and I've lost all my income, everything," he says.
As Akira Kaya lowers his trawling nets he explains how he used to haul in magnificent catches of octopus, horse mackerel and flatfish.
(Sound of fish haul pulled onto boat deck)
And today again a decent catch spills from his nets onto the deck. But none of these fish will ever make it to market.
Here, just 20 kilometres out to sea from the shattered remains of the Fukushima nuclear plant, nothing can be sold to the public.
(Sound of Akira Kaya speaking)
"These fish are samples to be sent for testing to measure radiation contamination," Akira Kaya says.
Radioactive contamination isn't just a problem for Fukushima. Last month 15 bluefin tuna were caught off the coast of San Diego in the western United States.
They were found to contain albeit low levels of radioactive caesium 134 and 137. The latter has a half life of 30 years.
But in the waters of Fukushima some of the fish have been found to be dangerously contaminated.
(Sound of Takashi Niitsuma speaking)
"Last week the boats went 40 kilometres out from the nuclear plant for sample fishing," says fishing co-operative spokesman Takashi Niitsuma. "Just under a third of the fish were above the contamination safety level," he tells me.
Back from his foray to within 20 kilometres of the nuclear plant Akira Kaya unloads his catch. But he won't see a single yen from it.
(Sound of Akira Kaya speaking)
"I think it's impossible for Fukushima's fishing industry to recover in my lifetime," he tells me. "Even if we do get back on our feet, who's going to buy our fish?" he asks with a shrug.
A few days after our expedition off Fukushima the results of our haul came in - about a quarter of the catch has radiation levels exceeding the safe limit, with one fish 16 times over the limit, more bad news for Akira Kaya and his fellow Fukushima fisherman.
This is Mark Willacy in Fukushima for AM.