Fishmongers dread future after Fukushima discharge

"Despite government assurance of no scientific issues and our reassurances that we only sell seafood caught in our local waters, customers are unwilling to listen," said the head of the Seoho Conventional Market in Tongyeong, South Gyeongsang.

A fish shop owner at the fish market in Incheon watches the breaking news of Tokyo Electric Power Company releasing the treated radioactive water from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant into the ocean on Thursday. [YONHAP]

Although experts suggest that it will take approximately five years for the treated radioactive water discharged from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant to reach the shores of the Korean Peninsula, fish vendors in Korea are already concerned about a drop in sales.

Some are already struggling, having barely recovered from the hardships they endured during the Covid-19 pandemic and recent natural disasters like flooding and heat waves.

"Customers have already stopped coming due to fear-mongering by politicians over contamination from the Fukushima nuclear power plant discharge,” said Lee Seong-min, head of merchants at the Seoho Conventional Market in coastal Tongyeong, South Gyeongsang.“I'm concerned it will only get worse.”

According to Tongyeong’s traditional market, sales have plummeted between 30 and 40 percent compared to the same period last year.

This is a significant drop considering that last year, Covid-19 social distancing regulations were still in place.

Typically, the market experiences a sales boost in August as tourists on summer vacation purchase the seafood products the city is known for.

Lee said whenever he passes by, the 500 store owners repeatedly ask him to find ways to attract customers.

Ten stores have closed this year alone.

The fear propagated by politicians, particularly from the Democratic Party, regarding contamination from the Japanese nuclear plant's discharged water has taken a toll.

"In the past, people lined up to join our market," Lee stated. "Despite government assurance of no scientific issues and our reassurances that we sell only seafood caught in our local waters, customers are unwilling to listen."

Shop owners at the Masan Fishery Market in Changwon, a major fish market with 860 stores in South Gyeongsang, voiced concerns about the discharged water, particularly since the market is about to begin a fishery market festival on Friday.

The festival, which started in 2000, has become a significant regional event, attracting 50,000 visitors last year.

“We have spent so much in preparing a celebratory concert,” Shim Myeong-seop, head of the Masan Fishery Market said. “It’s frustrating how the customers think differently despite the government reassuring our fish to be safe.”

Oyster farms in South Gyeongsang, including Tongyeong, Geoje and Goseong, which account for 70 to 80 percent of the country's supplies, are anxious ahead of the October harvest season.

These farms have already felt the impact of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant's discharge, with prices dropping 20 to 30 percent in May.

Ji Hong-tae, head of Tongyeong's oyster harvest farms under the National Federation of Fisheries Cooperatives, lamented that all fishermen are likely facing business closures despite there being no serious issues with their products.

"Regardless of the type of fish or species, sales have dropped by 20 percent," said Keum Bong-dal, head of the cooperative at Busan's iconic Jagalchi Market. "This is due to politicians spreading fear even before the water was discharged."

The Busan Cooperative Fish Market, handling over 3,200 tons of fish daily, is focused on restoring customer trust in its products.

“Once we develop a website that displays the daily radiation test results [on fish products], we will be able to alleviate fears and rebuild trust in our safe distribution system,” said Park Keuk-je, head of the Busan cooperative.

Experts maintain that the impact of treated water released from the Japanese nuclear power plant will have minimal influence on marine life in the seas around Korea.

“The annual amount of tritium in the rain that falls on Dongha [Gangwon] averages 5 grams, whereas the tritium stored at the Fukushima plant totals 2.2 grams,” said Jeong Yong-hoon, a KAIST professor of nuclear and quantum engineering.

He added that all other radioactive substances, except tritium, fall below regulatory standards after undergoing filtration through the Advanced Liquid Processing System (APLS) before release.

The professor indicated that annual radiation exposure from consuming fish caught within 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) of the Fukushima nuclear power plant and living nearby would be 1 microsievert.

“If a Korean consumes fish caught far off in the Pacific Ocean with discharged waters that bypass the ALPS filter, the annual radiation exposure would be 0.0035 microsieverts,” according to Jeong.

Each banana contains 0.1 microsieverts.

He also stated that it would take four to five years for the water discharged from the plant on Thursday to reach Korean shores. Jeong concluded, "The impact of the Fukushima discharged water would have little influence on our seas."

BY AN DAE-HUN, LEE HO-JEONG [lee.hojeong@joongang.co.kr]