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If consumers are misled by harmful rumors, none of us will be able to make a living.

16 Comments

A fish merchant at the port of Hitachinaka, 160 kms south of the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant. Fishermen and farmers across eastern Japan say the public fear of radiation has done more damage to their livelihoods than the radioactive fallout itself. (CBS News)

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He is totally wrong.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

First a small correction Hitachinaka is less than 140km south of the crippled Fukushima Daiichi plant by car. Much less than that as the crow flies ( I would guess a bit over 100km).

Second: If the government had instilled confidence from day one that they were on top of the food safety issues, then maybe consumers wouldn't worry about buying fish that was somehow proven to have been caught in "safe" areas" ,or tested to be of safe levels. However with the stories of fishing boats offloading their catches far away from their home port, it makes consumers wary. Good trustworthy information and diligent testing from government and independent food safety organisations is probably the best way to go.

Third: The government and TEPCO should support anyone who's ability to make a living has been affected by the accident.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

If consumers are misled by harmful rumors, none of us will be able to make a living.

Yeah mislead by the govt spreading rumours that the fish and farm products are safe could cost everyone their job AND THEIR HEALTH.

4 ( +4 / -0 )

But... but... I thought some have been saying all Japanese will ignore health risks and eat contaminated food because they think they should support Fukushima? You mean JT posters are wrong about something?

1 ( +1 / -0 )

the public fear of radiation has done more damage to their livelihoods than the radioactive fallout itself.

More like the lies from the Gov't and Tepco has done more damage to thier livelihoods than the radiation fallout itself.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

saw a show on NHK the other day on radiation fallout and impact in the marine life..which was quite startling. Factual information are not rumours, but information people should know to make their own decisions about purchasing marine products near the plant or not.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

zichi, great post...that's what I was trying to imply.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Fishermen and farmers across eastern Japan say the public fear of radiation has done more damage to their livelihoods than the radioactive fallout itself.

Glad to see that the fishermen and farmers are buying the same line put out by TEPCO and the government. But really who would expect anything else these people are in the business of making money and this disaster is affecting that so they will do and say anything to start making money again. As has been shown in the past and will happen again contaminated foods and produce are making it to the market, these primary producers know their product is affected yet still try to sell it. And they get angry about rumors, maybe they should direct their anger at the people who caused this issue (TEPCO) and the government for their poor handling of the issue rather than blame the consumers.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Rumors arise when official information does not exist, is not sufficient or unreliable. The problem is not the rumors, but the latter. If you want to sell your fish, do certified testing for all your products.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Really?

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Maybe Consumer confidence would improve if the fishing in local waters were constantly tested for contamination to show improvement in the local waters and also if the whaling fleet does not travel all the way to the Antartic just to hunt whales in the whale sanctuary but by hunting whale in Japans own waters because I'm sure people are questioning this journey to the Antartic and looking at the local waters and going hmmm.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

So much for people not thinking about themselves. This guy is more worried about his damn job than he is about poising the rest of the country with the fish he catches. Unreal. What is worse is that the government is looking the other way and allowing this man to continue fishing. Sick and pathetic. I don't know about anyone else but I've been still with shrimp from Thailand, salmon from various places and canned tuna. Avoiding anything here that I don't know where it is from.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

I feel for the fishmonger and his worries about his endangered livelihood. Yet I can't help but think that any reliance on TEPCO and the central government to determine what is safe and what is not is simply absurd, and will ultimately harm many more in the years to come who call Japan home.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Let's wait and not CONSUME potentially lethal produce and see the effect on other species before coming to conclusions eh?

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

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