Data from an international study is set to capture the changing image of the fishing community in post-disaster Fukushima.
The three year study was a joint research project by Robert Gordon University (RGU) academic Dr Leslie Mabon and Professor Midori Kawabe from Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology.
Its aim was to examine how the local community in Fukushima Prefecture has responded to the 2011 nuclear disaster – in particular, the progress since coastal fishing resumed five years ago this month.
Over that time, as increasing numbers of fish species have been released for consumption, there has been a concentrated effort to manage the social side of rebuilding the coastal environment.
This has included understanding the concerns and interests of the local community, but also bringing together fishers, scientists and governors to decide on the most appropriate pathways for restarting Fukushima’s fisheries.
Dr Mabon and Professor Kawabe’s research was supported through a Japan Foundation Fellowship.
The pair have visited Fukushima Prefecture a number of times throughout their study and interviewed individuals and groups connected with the fishing industry. They have also reviewed risk management documentation produced by local, regional and national governments, as well as by the fisheries themselves.
One of their predominant findings was the importance of community engagement in moving the fishing industry forward, with local citizens establishing independent monitoring groups and tasting events to restore pride in the region’s marine produce.
Dr Mabon, a lecturer in RGU’s School of Applied Social Studies, is an established researcher with an interest in how communities understand and respond to change and risk in the environment.
He believes that data from this particular study can be adapted to lessons for coastal fishing communities around the world, including the North-east of Scotland.
He said: “Although the causes of the Fukushima nuclear accident are clearly unique, large-scale environmental changes on our seas and coasts are going to become more common as the effects of climate change take hold.
“It is therefore important that we understand how these kinds of changes affect society and fully engage with industry and communities globally to respond to these new challenges.”
Speaking on the progress at Fukushima, Professor Kawabe said: “Because trial fisheries happen under strict controls, at the moment the amount of fish landed is only about 10% of what it was before the disaster. But still, the produce is being sold in the famous Tsukiji Fish Market in Tokyo as well as across north, east and central Japan more widely.
“There is good scientific evidence behind the safety of the marine produce that goes on sale, and every week the fisheries staff in Fukushima Prefecture carry out 200 examinations for radiation. In this way, coastal fishing in Fukushima is steadily making its way along the road to recovery."
Dr Mabon and Professor Kawabe’s paper – ‘Making sense of post-disaster Fukushima fisheries: a scalar approach’ – is published in this month’s edition of Environmental Science and Policy.