Fish Caught Near Fukushima over 2,500 Times Normal Radiation Levels
OutdoorHub Reporters 01.22.13
Saltwater anglers take note. A murasoi fish recently caught near the Fukushima Bay tested to be over 2,500 times the acceptable radiation level for human consumption. The area was closed to human activity after the Fukushima nuclear plant’s accident during Japan’s 2011 earthquake.
According to the Daily Mail, the murasoi specimen did not exhibit any signs of deformity, a worrying thought as researchers believe the contaminated water is still spreading. Waste from the damaged Daiichi reactor settled on the ocean floor, but has not remained dormant. Scientists worry that because of larger migratory marine species that eat the affected fish, the contamination will spread beyond the area.
Despite this, some local fishemen have returned to the water. According to the New York Times, about 40 percent of a fisherman’s catch remains unsafe to eat because of high cesium levels.
Fish caught in the Fukushima region continue to test as highly radioactive. The Tokyo Electric Power company resorted to installing a 20-kilometer net in order to contain affected species.
