Japanese Fisheries Minister, Miyashita Ichiro, has pledged assistance to companies affected by the discharge of treated and diluted water from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant into the ocean.
We will conduct swift examinations of marine products... and ensure that the fishing industry can continue to operate smoothly,” Ichiro stated, as reported by NHK (Japan Broadcasting Corporation).
On August 24, Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) announced that it had begun discharging treated and diluted water from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant into the ocean.
The first phase of the discharge was planned to take place over 17 days, involving 7,800 tons of treated water diluted with seawater.
TEPCO plans to discharge over 31 tons of water during the current fiscal year, which equals nearly 30 tanks.
The complete discharge process is expected to take at least 30 years to complete.
Groundwater and rainwater mix with water used to cool the melted nuclear fuel, which is highly radioactive.
The accumulated water is treated to remove most radioactive materials but still contains tritium.