Japanese consumers are eating more local fish in spite of China's ban due to Fukushima wastewater

abcnews.go.com:

Fishing communities in Fukushima feared devastating damage to their businesses from the tsunami-wrecked nuclear power plant’s ongoing discharge of treated radioactive wastewater into the sea

IWAKI, Japan — Local fishing communities feared the worst when the wrecked Fukushima nuclear power plant began discharging treated radioactive wastewater into the sea.

Instead of a business calamity, however, consumers from across the nation have supported the region by eating more fish. Besides boosting a fragile industry, the demand has helped mitigate the impact of China's ban on Japanese seafood, though there are worries about the future of the water release.

“So far, I haven’t heard anyone raising safety concerns over the treated water release. I'd say zero,” Kazuto Harada, who works at Marufuto Fish Store near the Onahama Port in Fukushima, said as he stood by a tank of lobsters caught nearby. “I'm half surprised, and half relieved."

Customers nationwide are placing orders, with many asking for “Joban-mono," or fish from the waters off Fukushima and its southern neighbor Ibaraki. That includes regional favorites flounder and greeneye.

By late afternoon, almost all the fresh local catch sells out.

Sumie Nouchi, a Tokyo resident, visited the Lalamew seafood market after playing golf in the area with friends. “I was determined to come here and buy fish on my way home,” she said. Her purchases included rosy seabass, greeneye, squid and octopus.

It's less about supporting local businesses than because Joban-mono tastes good, she says. “I'm not worried about the treated water discharge. I've been checking sampling results and I trust them.”

The Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant started releasing treated and diluted