The farm ministry began briefing Nagasaki Prefecture on Thursday about its plan to open Isahaya Bay's floodgates for about two months to find out why the area has been suffering poor seaweed harvests.
The Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Ministry hopes to end its battle with the local government, which does not want the gates opened, by as early as next week. The floodgates are part of a controversial land-reclamation project.
Mitsuhiro Miyakoshi, the ministry's parliamentary secretary, and other ministry officials met Nagasaki Gov. Genjiro Kaneko and other officials at the prefecture.
The ministry officials presented a letter from farm minister Tsutomu Takebe calling on the prefecture to acknowledge the need for the gates to be opened.