The National Federation of Fisheries Cooperative Associations lodged a protest with Tokyo Electric Power Co. on Thursday over the radioactive water flowing into the Pacific from the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant complex.
It also urged Tepco President Naomi Hirose at the utility's Tokyo headquarters to take drastic steps to stop the tainted water and to enhance monitoring of the ocean in the vicinity of the nuclear complex, which was crippled by three meltdowns in March 2011.
The move came after Tepco admitted for the first time Monday that radioactive groundwater was flowing from under Fukushima No. 1 into the Pacific. The admission is just the latest water-related radiation issue to devastate the local fishing industry, which is eager to resume work since food-safety fears triggered by the crisis brought fishing to a halt.