South Korean fishermen demand compensation from Japan over Fukushima water dump

A South Korean fisheries association, on May 13, filed a lawsuit against the Japanese government at Jeju District Court, seeking compensation for the planned release of contaminated water from the Fukushima nuclear power plant, Yonhap news agency reported. Speaking at a press conference, the National Federation of Fisheries Cooperatives of Jeju Island accused Japan of harming their trade and demanded a compensation of 10 million won per day from the Japanese administration as well as Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings. While the Japanese have claimed the water to be safe, South Korean fishermen said that at it could trigger scepticism about Fukushima seafood being toxic and negatively affect their sale.

More than a million ton

Last month, the Yoshihide Suga led administration approved a plan to release more than a million tons of treated radioactive water from the destroyed plant into the Pacific Ocean. The once fully functional plant was obliterated by an earthquake and tsunami that hit the island back in 2011. Tokyo has argued that the water would be diluted and treated so as to make the radiation levels below those set for drinking water. However, both South Korea and China have rebuked the decision.

A recent development in the case led to China and Japan accusing each other of inappropriate behaviour. The exchange came after a Chinese government official posted an altered image of the famous painting ‘The Great Wave Off Kanagawa’ to show nuclear waste being poured into the sea. Earlier this month, Japan had announced that it would release the contaminated water from the Fukushima nuclear plant into the sea. The decision angered China as it called the plan “extremely irresponsible”. 

On April 26, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman, Zhao Lijian, tweeted the image of the painting which was made in the 19th century by artist Hokusai. Lijian also shared the altered picture which showed green nuclear waste being poured into the sea by two people in orange Hazmat suits from a boat. The image, created by a Chinese illustrator, also showed a nuclear plant cooling tower instead of Mount Fiji. 

Even as Yoshihide Suga, in full support of the International Atomic Energy Agency, claimed that the water was harmless and even compare it to drinking water, a group of scientists believe that it could cause lethal damage to the environment. 

Image: AP