In an attempt to mitigate the fallout from the discharge of treated wastewater from the crippled Fukushima No.1 nuclear power plant, the Cabinet approved a plan Tuesday to add ¥20.7 billion ($141 million) in subsidies for the fishing industry.
Coupled with two other funds announced ahead of the release, the total amount earmarked to support the sector now tops ¥100 billion, with the government struggling to convince people at home and abroad that discharging the controversial water will not pose health risks.
“The government and Tepco (Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings, the Fukushima plant operator) will fulfill their responsibility to protect the fishing industry,” Prime Minister Fumio Kishida told reporters Monday evening.