Japan will launch the second discharge of scallops into the sea. Its scallop exports have declined to reduce stocks and provide free school meals.

As of the 24th, a full month has passed since the Japanese government and Tokyo Electric Power Company forcibly started discharging contaminated water from the Fukushima nuclear power plant into the sea. Multiple Japanese media reported that the second round of emissions is expected to start from the end of this month to early October.

According to the latest reports from Japanese media, the second round of discharge of Fukushima nuclear contaminated water will be launched from the end of September to early October as scheduled. TEPCO is currently preparing for the second round of discharge.

According to TEPCO’s previously announced plan, the total amount of nuclear-contaminated water discharged in the second round is still expected to be around 7,800 tons. By the end of March next year, TEPCO will conduct four rounds of discharges of nuclear-contaminated water, with a total discharge of approximately 31,200 tons, accounting for 2.3% of the current total nuclear-contaminated water, equivalent to emptying approximately 40 storage tanks. Nuclear-contaminated water from more than 1,000 other storage tanks will be discharged over the next few decades.

With the discharge of contaminated water from the Fukushima nuclear power plant into the sea, Japan’s export sales of aquatic products have been severely hampered. In Hokkaido, the main scallop producing area, a sharp decline in exports has led to a backlog of scallop stocks and insufficient warehouse storage space. Some merchants said they expect the backlog of inventory to reach 5,000 tons to 6,000 tons by the end of the year. In the context of Japan’s rising electricity bills, merchants’ storage costs are also rising. In order to reduce losses, some production areas have begun to reduce stocks by distributing free food for school meals. In addition, a fishing group in Aomori Prefecture said that due to the drop in sea cucumber prices, the local area will abandon the large-scale sea cucumber fishing originally planned for October.

In response to the Japanese government and Tokyo Electric Power Company forcing the discharge of contaminated water from the Fukushima nuclear power plant into the sea, the Hakodate City Council in Hokkaido recently voted to adopt a statement. This statement condemned the Japanese government and Tokyo Electric Power Company for breaking their promises and failing to gain understanding from relevant personnel. They believe that the forced sea discharge will hinder the recovery of fisheries in Fukushima and other places, and demand that the sea discharge be stopped immediately.

Source: CCTV Finance