Japanese consumers are eating more local fish in spite of China’s ban due to Fukushima wastewater

By MARI YAMAGUCHI
Associated Press

IWAKI, Japan (AP) — Fishing communities in Fukushima feared devastating damage to their businesses from the tsunami-wrecked nuclear power plant’s ongoing discharge of treated radioactive wastewater into the sea. Instead, they’re seeing increased consumer support as people eat more fish, a movement in part helped by China’s ban on Japanese seafood. The Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant started releasing treated and diluted radioactive wastewater into the sea in August. Fukushima prefectural fisheries official Katsuya Goto said the current stability of the fish market is fragile. He said local fisheries rely on the safety of the water discharge.