IWAKI, Fukushima Prefecture Bottom trawling fishing season opened off the coast of Fukushima Prefecture on Sept. 1, a week after the controversial start of the release of treated water from a crippled nuclear plant into the sea.
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NHK.
Laboratory tests revealed that black rockfish caught at a depth of 24 meters (m) nearly 8.8 kilometers (km) off the coastal town of Shinchi were contaminated with up to 500 becquerels (Bq) of radioactive cesium per kilogram. The permitted standard level is 100 Bq of radioactive cesium per kilogram.
Fishermen in affected coastal towns have since suspended fishing for the species, citing potential health issues. In addition, the Fukushima Prefectural Federation of Fisheries Cooperative Associations has also halted the distribution of black rockfish until local authorities can declare it safe to do so.
On Feb. 19, Tokyo Electric Power Co. (TEPCO) said cooling water levels have fallen in two reactors at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant since a powerful earthquake hit the area over the weekend. The earthquake might have caused damage to the plant and caused water to leak.