☐ The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) established the MAFF Earthquake Response Headquarters on March 11, immediately following the earthquake.

☐ The Fisheries Agency’s fishery research/patrol vessels engaged in search activities on site, and in the transportation of relief supplies to the affected areas.

○ Since immediately after the earthquake, fishery-related entities have provided a variety of support to the affected areas, such as the transportation of emergency relief supplies, the supply of crude oil by fishery organizations, and cooperation in food assistance by fishery processors.

Due to the many drifting objects and destroyed quays, relief supplies were carried ashore using patrol boats loaded on fishery patrol vessels.

The All Japan Seamen's Union, which is a national organization of ship crews chartered a medium-size squid-fishing vessel, and delivered relief supplies to affected areas.

The accident of Tokyo Electric Power Company’s (TEPCO’s) Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) provoked concerns about the safety of fishery products in and outside Japan, in addition to affecting fisheries, as shown by fishers’ self-restraint of operations, for example.

☐ The Fisheries Agency notified prefectures, etc. of the Basic Policy for Inspections on Radioactive Materials in Fishery Products on May 2, 2011. It intends to continue its efforts to strengthen the monitoring of radioactive materials and to provide accurate information in cooperation with prefectures, etc.

## Outline of implementation of inspections on radioactive materials in fishery products

## I nspections on radioactive materials in fishery products

In order to ensure that consumers can eat fishery products without anxiety, it is important to inspect the levels of radioactive materials contained in fishery products and to take measures so that fishery products with radioactivity levels exceeding the provisional regulation values under the Food Sanitation Act are not distributed on the market.

The Fisheries Agency, which had already been promoting inspections on radioactive materials in fishery products in cooperation with the relevant prefectures, formulated the Basic Policy for Inspections on Radioactive Materials in Fishery Products on May 2, 2011, with an aim to further strengthen such inspections. Based on this policy, the relevant prefectures and industrial organizations currently implement inspection of radioactive materials in fish and shellfish sampled at major landing ports once a week, in principle.

If the level of radioactive materials is found to exceed the provisional regulation value as a result of the inspection, the relevant fishery operations around the sea area where the sample was caught are to be suspended based on a request by the national or prefectural government. In this manner, steps are taken to prevent the distribution of fishery products with radioactivity levels exceeding the provisional regulation values.

(Reference) MAFF website (as of May 16, 2011)

○ Basic Policy for Inspections on Radioactive Materials in Fishery Products

http://www.jfa.maff.go.jp/j/press/sigen/110506.html

http://www.jfa.maff.go.jp/e/inspection/pdf/110530_housin_en.pdf

Questions and Answers on Fishery Products

http://www.jfa.maff.go.jp/j/kakou/Q_A/index.html

http://www.jfa.maff.go.jp/e/inspection/pdf/110803_qa_en.pdf