Wreckage fishing

July 11, 2012

With fishing suspended, Fukushima fishermen return to sea to catch disaster debris

http://mainichi.jp/english/english/newsselect/news/20120711p2a00m0na015000c.html

IWAKI, Fukushima -- On the morning of July 11, a year and four months after the March 11, 2011 disasters, fishermen here boarded their ships and headed out to sea -- not to catch fish, but disaster debris.

"This is a sea with no exit," muttered Masakazu Yabuki, 75, the head of the Iwaki fishery cooperative. With fishing in the region still suspended due to the nuclear disaster at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant, Yabuki's 27-meter-long fishing boat is now used to collect debris from the sea -- a job local fishermen call "wreckage fishing."

On July 11, Yabuki and his fellow fishermen began the day by pouring sake into the sea and taking a moment of silence to mourn those who perished in the disasters. Then they headed out to sea to collect the still vast amount of debris dispersed in the ocean.

"We've gained 30 kilograms," fishermen on the boat smiled bitterly, referring to how long they've been kept from fishing since the disasters. Fishing in the area remains suspended as radioactive contamination exceeding the 100-becquerels-per-kilogram government safety limit for foods was detected in much of the fish caught off the Iwaki coast.

"Even if contamination falls below the safety limit, as long as some radiation is detected no one will buy the fish," Yabuki says. "You know that it's still difficult to sell fish from Minamata, even after the Kumamoto Prefectural Government declared the fish was safe (back in 1997)," the man added.

To support fishermen affected by the disasters, the national Fisheries Agency allocated a combined 36.3 billion yen to commission fishermen and others in related fields in seven prefectures along the Pacific coast from Aomori to Mie, to pull disaster debris out of the sea.

Fukushima's fishermen now live off the "salary" they receive for collecting this debris, in addition to compensation they receive from Fukushima No. 1 plant operator Tokyo Electric Power Co. (TEPCO) every three months -- an amount equal to about 80 percent of the maximum profit they would get in their best fishing season.

Prior to the disasters, Iwaki fishermen used to catch various marine delicacies such as flounder, goosefish and sea urchin that were shipped to fish markets across the country, including Tokyo's Tsukiji. Women would greet the fishermen at the port, and seagulls could be seen in the sky hunting for a tasty morsel. Today, that has all disappeared from the region, even the smell of fish.

"There is nothing worse (for fishermen) than to earn a living while not catching fish," Yabuki said. "But right now, all we can do is be patient. Fishing is the only way of life we know," the fisherman added with a smile. "That is why tomorrow, too, I will head to the sea along with my fellows to catch debris."