Japan: Thai sushi lovers aid recovery of Fukushima's fishing fleet

Published 2021년 6월 11일

Tridge summary

Fish from Fukushima Prefecture, Japan has been exported to Thailand, marking a milestone for the region's recovery from the 2011 earthquake and nuclear plant meltdowns. A shipment of 13 kg of flounder, Japanese sea bass, and Japanese red sea perch was flown to Bangkok and served at a high-end sushi restaurant. This is the first overseas export of Fukushima fish since 2018, following consumer protests. The fish is transported by air, which increases cost but also has the potential to boost the brand image and domestic consumption in Japan. The goal is to gradually increase deliveries and expand to other markets such as Indonesia and Malaysia. Despite concerns over radioactive contamination, fishing resumed in Fukushima in 2012, but the volume caught in 2020 was only 20% of the pre-disaster level.

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Original content

FUKUSHIMA, Japan -- Fish caught off the coast of Fukushima Prefecture has been exported to Thailand, marking a step toward recovery for the northeastern Japanese region still hurting from the 2011 earthquake and nuclear plant meltdowns. Organizers of the shipment believe that business conditions have changed since 2018, when restaurants in Bangkok serving fish from Fukushima as part of a promotional fair were forced to stop due to protests from consumer groups. A total of 13 kg of flounder, Japanese sea bass and Japanese red sea perch that landed in Soma on June 2 was flown to Bangkok two days later. The fish was served at a high-end sushi restaurant inside a local department store. "We were able to ship good fish just as usual," said the president of a Soma-based seafood wholesaler that handled the shipment. Eat, and Energize the East, a Tokyo-based group that supports the food industry in Japan's northeast, organized the shipment by working with Japanese companies with seafood ...

Source: Nikkei