On Marine Day, Japanese public decry nuke wastewater discharge

TOKYO, July 18 (Xinhua) -- Multiple activities were held among the Japanese public on Monday in opposition to Japan's plan of dumping nuclear-contaminated wastewater into the sea, as the country celebrated its Marine Day by giving thanks to the ocean and its blessings.

In Iwaki city of Fukushima prefecture, about a hundred Japanese, including residents and those who work in the fishing industry, gathered under the scorching sun to decry the government's planned discharge of radioactive wastewater from the crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant.

"Listen to the screams of Fukushima!" said Masahide Kimura from Koreumi, a Japanese citizens' conference to condemn further ocean pollution, which was also one of the organizers of Monday's rally.

Under a sign that read "Stop Contaminated Water Marine Day Action," people at the rally expressed their strong opposition to the discharge from their personal perspectives, demanding that the Japanese government reconsider the plan.

A project called Mirainoumi, or Future's Ocean in Japanese, was also officially launched on Monday, amid efforts to protect the ocean by preventing the Japanese government and Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) from dumping the contaminated water into the sea.

The project was initiated by non-profit organizations, including Fukushima Peace Forum.

It will disseminate opinions against the discharge of nuclear-contaminated water into the sea both from home and abroad by collecting signatures against the discharge, establishing a web homepage and making short videos, Masashi Tani, head of the Japan Council against Atomic and Hydrogen Bombs as one of the initiators, told a press conference earlier this month.

According to Tani, the organization believes the Fukushima nuclear-polluted water should not be discharged into the sea, and the government should consider adding water storage tanks.

The radioactive substances produced by the nuclear accident cannot be discharged into nature, but should be properly sealed, said Tani, adding that a clean ocean must be saved for the future.

He said the Future's Ocean project will continue to oppose the discharge of nuclear-contaminated water. Even if the Japanese government pushes forward the sea discharge plan, it will take a long time to complete the discharge, and efforts must be made to stop it even after the discharge starts.

"Leaving a clean ocean for the future is, of course, the responsibility of our generation," Tani said.

Following a discussion with the Japanese Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Yasutoshi Nishimura last week, Masanobu Sakamoto, president of the national federation of fisheries cooperatives, known as JF Zengyoren, emphasized the federation's unchanged opposition to the discharge as long as they cannot trust the water to be discharged into the sea.

After meeting with Nishimura, Tetsu Nozaki, head of the Fukushima fisheries associations, stressed that the discharge cannot be tolerated, as it was widely agreed that "no disposal (of nuclear-contaminated water) will be carried out without the understanding of relevant parties."

Some 80.3 percent of respondents said the explanation provided by the government on the discharge plan was insufficient, a poll conducted by the national news agency Kyodo News showed Sunday.