Japan officially discharged the contaminated water into the sea, and 240 days later, the contaminated water will spread to China

Still, this has raised concerns among fishermen. According to NHK, Ishibashi Masahiro, 44, a fisherman from the Soma Futaba Fisheries Cooperative who uses the coast of the Fukushima area as a fishing ground, said, I do not understand why the decision to release radioactive materials was made without the understanding of the fishermen.

Ishibashi used to catch "Joban products" such as sole and fillet, which have been highly prized. However, after the accident, fishing was restricted and water production decreased. In June this year, as a representative of young local fishermen, he met with the Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry, Nishimura, and directly expressed his opposition to the release of radioactive materials. "Among many young people, they chose the fishing path, hoping to bring hope and a future to the fishing industry in Fukushima, but this [the discharge of nuclear-contaminated water and the stigma issue] could be a reason to lose hope," Mr Ishibashi said.

Koji Reiki, 62, a seafood wholesaler from Iwaki City, Fukushima Prefecture, has mixed feelings. He sells products based on caught fish at the local port fish market and wholesales them to fresh fish shops and restaurants throughout Fukushima Prefecture.

After the nuclear accident, he worked with other suppliers in the market to organize events to promote the charms of fish caught off the coast of Fukushima, and invited government representatives to a seminar on radioactive release plans to learn about the safety of released water and countermeasures to stigma issues. Suzuki said that although he opposes the release of radioactive materials, he understands the need to dispose of radioactive materials in order to push for the dismantling of nuclear power plants, so his feelings are mixed.