In Fukushima, a total of 873 fishing vessels were damaged by the tsunami on March 11th, 2011 (Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Japan 2012). After March 12th, the large-scale release of radioactive substances from the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant occurred. On March 15th, 2011, the Fukushima Prefectural Federation of Fisheries Cooperative Association (hereafter referred to as the Fukushima FCA) voluntarily stopped fishing operations in the waters inside of Fukushima Prefecture (Yagi 2014, 2016). Some fishing activities in the prefectures neighboring Fukushima (namely Miyagi and Ibaraki) were also suspended after the Fukushima disaster, but most of these were subsequently lifted within 2 years (Ibaraki Prefecture 2014; Miyagi Prefecture 2014). Neither the national nor the prefectural governments revoked fishing licenses in Fukushima (Yagi 2016). However, the national government did provide legally binding sales prohibitions on certain marine products caught in the waters off Fukushima Prefecture based on food safety requirements (Yagi 2016).
After a cessation of fishing for more than 1 year, the Fukushima FCA decided to resume fishing activities in June 2012, hereafter referred to as the ‘trial operation’, for three species (two octopus species and one shellfish species) living at depths of more than 150 meters in ocean areas approximately 60–90 km from the damaged nuclear power plant (Yagi 2014, 2016). The trial operation has several limitations, and therefore it is not regarded as a full resumption of commercial fishing. The limitations include: (i) days of operation (usually fewer than 5 days a month); (ii) landing ports (only two ports have been designated: one in Soma City and the other in Iwaki City); (iii) the amount of landed fish (usually less than 10 tons a day); and (iv) the number of vessels involved in fishing operations (Yagi 2014). Operation rules are set to maintain a high frequency of monitoring for radioactive substances and to ensure traceability following the landing of marine products (Yagi 2016). Most of these products were sold at local supermarkets in Fukushima, and sold out very quickly, most likely due to the small number of available items and consumers wishing to help their local fishers by purchasing their products (Yagi 2014).
The Fukushima FCA monitored for radiocesium at the two landing sites (namely, Soma-Futaba and Iwaki) from the start of the trial operation. Analyses were carried out for every species landed during the day of each trial operation. 0.5–1.0 kg of edible parts is randomly taken as a representative sample of each species on the day, and radiocesium (134Cs and 137Cs combined) is measured using NaI scintillation counters installed at the two landing sites. Landed fish have been sold with labels indicating Fukushima as their point of origin (Yagi 2014).
As of May 2017, the trial operation has caught approximately 20–40 species and, therefore, all these species have been measured for radiocesium. The level of radiocesium in samples are reported on the website of the Fukushima FCA, and all records from 2012 until today are available (http://www.fsgyoren.jf-net.ne.jp/kensakekka201209.pdf for Soma-Futaba landing site and http://www.fsgyoren.jf-net.ne.jp/kensakekka-iwaki.pdf for Iwaki landing sites). In almost all samples, the level of radiocesium was below 12.5 Bq/kg and such results are reported as “not detected” on the websites.
The legally binding sales prohibition by the government has been periodically revised. Since December 2013, the prohibition has been in effect for 40 marine species living in the waters of Fukushima (Fukushima Prefecture 2014), and since January 2015, it has been reduced to 35 species (Fukushima Prefecture 2015). As of October 11th, 2017, the number of species subject to the sales prohibition was reduced to 10 marine species (Fukushima Prefecture 2017a). These species are not allowed to land by the trial operation.
Total landing value of fish and fishery products from the trial operation has gradually increased due to the increased number of catchable species and increased fishing areas. But its landing value in 2016 was still at the level of 1/20 of the pre-disaster years. The total value of fish and fishery products landed in Fukushima from the trial operation was 461 million JPY (approximately 4 million USD) in 2016, while the value of landed fish and fishery products in 2009 and 2010 was 11,280 million JPY and 10,959 million JPY (both values are equivalent to approximately 100 million USD), respectively (Fukushima Prefecture 2017b, for pre-disaster data, and post-disaster data through personal communications with Mr. Noguchi of the Fukushima FCA).