Fukushima octopuses for sale

August 2, 2012

First seafood shipment from Fukushima Pref. made to Tsukiji market since nuke disaster

http://mainichi.jp/english/english/newsselect/news/20120802p2a00m0na009000c.html

Octopus shipments taken off of Soma, Fukushima Prefecture, arrived at Tsukiji market in Tokyo on the morning of Aug. 2, the first shipment of marine products from Fukushima Prefecture to the Kanto region since the nuclear disaster.

The octopuses were caught in test fishing by the Fukushima prefectural fishing association in preparation for a full-scale resumption to fishing there.

Tohto Suisan, a company that stocked 50 kilograms of the octopus, sold it to gathered wholesalers who checked the radiation-inspection certificates and examined the quality of the octopus.

Toru Onozuka, 60, who bought some of the octopus at 20 percent over its market price, said, "Octopus from Soma is firm and good quality. There's inspection results indicating it is safe, so there is no problem."

Tohto Suisan's octopus sold out in the morning. Toshiyuki Ishihara, 57, who was in charge of selling, said, "Fukushima was an important business partner since before the earthquake disaster. If we can start the steady stocking of its products, we expect that customers will return."

First octopuses shipped from off Fukushima traded

http://www3.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/20120802_17.html

Octopuses caught in the sea off of Fukushima Prefecture were traded for the first time in 17 months after the Fukushima nuclear power plant accident in March last year.

On Thursday dawn, about 110 kilograms of Giant Pacific Octopuses were traded at Tokyo's Tsukiji fish market.

The octopuses were caught off Soma City in Fukushima Prefecture, about 50 kilometers northeast from the crippled nuclear power plant. They were shipped to Tokyo and Nagoya for the first time since the nuclear accident.

The fishing was conducted on a trial basis. All catches were cleared for radiation contamination tests before shipment.

Wholesalers checked the test results and freshness during bidding.

A wholesaler said he bought the octopuses at a price about 20 percent higher than before the accident. He said he wanted to show his support for reconstruction efforts in Fukushima Prefecture.

The octopuses will be sold at stores around Tokyo. A fishermen's association in Fukushima Prefecture will discuss whether to resume fishing after the sales results.

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