Meet Fishermen Regarding Planned Release Of Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant Today, Japanese PM Kishida: I Want To Talk Directly

The radioactive wastewater tank at PLTN Fukushima Japan. (Wikimedia Commons/IAEA Imagebank)

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said he would meet with fishermen as soon as Monday, regarding the government's plan to release radioactive PLTN Fukushima water into the high seas.

Getting approval from the organizations representing fishermen themselves, considered the final hurdle for the planned release of treated wastewater, a move the government says will begin this summer.

The plan to release 1.3 million tons of water from the PLTN that was destroyed by the tsunami, met opposition from local fishing unions, raised concerns among buyers in South Korea and sparked a ban on China's import of food products from Fukushima.

"I want to speak directly with the fishermen about the government's intentions," PM Kishida told reporters on Sunday after visiting PLTN Fukushima, which was submerged by the 2011 tsunami.

PM Kishida further said his government would make every effort to ensure the safety of releasing radioactive water and overcome reputational damage.

"Releasing radioactive water is a key step in disabling the Fukushima Daiichi PLTN and revitalizing Fukushima," he added.

The management, Tokyo Electric Power (Tepco) has filtered contaminated water to remove radioactive isotopes, and leaves only tritium that is difficult to remove. The company will dilute water to get tritium below the permitted limits, before pumping it into the sea from the beach location.

It is known that the Japanese nuclear regulator approved the plan after obtaining approval last month from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), which has conducted an evaluation for two years.

PM Kishida's own government will decide as soon as Tuesday, when to start releasing the water, most likely by the end of this month, Japanese media reports said.

"All elements of the government will make a final decision, after examining the status of efforts to ensure security and fight reputational damage," he said.