SENDAI (Kyodo) Fisheries businesses in Japan have reported damage of about ¥6.26 billion from tsunami triggered by last month's 8.8-magnitude earthquake in Chile, industry officials said Saturday.
The damage, mostly to farming facilities for scallops, oysters and seaweed, amounted to ¥4.13 billion in Miyagi Prefecture and ¥1.82 billion in Iwate Prefecture. The Pacific side of the two Tohoku region prefectures observed some of the highest tsunami in Japan caused by the Feb. 27 temblor.
Both prefectures have asked the government to designate them as areas seriously affected by the tsunami so they can be eligible for support.
The Fisheries Agency said tsunami damage to the fisheries sector has also been confirmed in Aomori, Fukushima, Kanagawa, Mie, Tokushima and Kochi prefectures.
The town of Otsuchi in Iwate reported the highest wave observed in Japan on Feb. 28, at 1.45 meters.