The health ministry just never gets a break. As the guardian of the nation's physical well-being it is expected to warn the populace about practices and products that may pose a danger to health, but whenever it gets up the wherewithal to actually give advice people cry foul.
On June 3, the ministry cautioned pregnant women about two species of fish, one a type of sea bream called alfonsin (kinmedai) and the other swordfish (mekajiki), which may contain higher than normal levels of mercury. It was the first time the government had ever issued an advisory that mentioned specific types of fish and the reaction was immediate. Wholesale prices for the two species dropped by as much as 40 percent.
Fishermen who catch alfonsin decided to suspend operations to stabilize the price and are now thinking of lodging an official protest.