Japan's dumping triggers fall in S. Korean seafood sales

YEOSU, South Korea — Fishers in South Korea have suffered a sharp fall in the sale of aquatic products after Japan's dumping of nuclear-contaminated water into the ocean.

"Fishermen are now really on the brink of death," Kim Youngchul, a fisherman and executive director of the National Fisherfolks Federation in South Korea, told Xinhua New Agency on Tuesday.

"They are on the brink of bankruptcy. There are many fishermen in such situations."

Kim said the consumption of fishery products fell sharply before and after Japan's dumping of toxic water from the crippled Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant into the Pacific Ocean, which started on Aug 24.

"Fishermen suffered much even before the dumping. Consumption (of aquatic products) shrank sharply as people say they will not eat (aquatic products) as much as they can after the dumping of radioactive water," he said.

According to the Gallup Korea poll of 1,602 adults in July, 82.4 percent of respondents said the consumption of fishery products would reduce after the discharge of contaminated water.

The panic-buying of dried fish emerged in the market as they can be stored for years, while prices of raw fish were cut by half because of weaker demand, Kim said.

"Wholesalers (of aquatic products) tell (fishermen) to stop fishing as they cannot sell, and even if (fishermen) go out for fishing, they should reduce their catch," he added.

Struck by a massive earthquake and a subsequent tsunami in March 2011, the Fukushima nuclear plant suffered core meltdowns and generated a massive amount of water tainted with radioactive substances from cooling down the nuclear fuel.

Xinhua