Protesters gathered in front of the headquarters of the Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) in Japan recently, protesting against plans to discharge nuclear wastewater from the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant into the sea.

Kurata Chizuko, a 74-year-old protester, said the Japanese government should spend more time considering alternative plans for the nuclear wastewater because the current plan could risk irreversible damage to the marine ecosystem off Japan's coast and to human health.

"TEPCO has never done a full investigation into how much the nuclear wastewater will harm the human body. I firmly oppose it. We dare not eat fish in the future. The ocean does not belong to Japan alone," she said.

"After the Fukushima nuclear accident, I have not bought any seafood from Fukushima. Once the nuclear wastewater is discharged into the sea, the situation will become more serious. At that time, I may not dare eat any seafood at all," said another protester.

Consumer concerns have driven the wholesale price of seafood landed in Fukushima down, and even though it is now selling at a discount of up to 20 percent compared to fish sourced elsewhere, consumers are not buying it.

"Marine life usually moves back and forth across the ocean. I think the discharge plan must be carefully considered because it will have a serious impact on our entire aquatic industry," said Takuro Noda, manager of a seafood retail store in Tokyo.

Since the 2011 earthquake and tsunami crippled the power plant, Fukushima's fishing industry has been working hard to restore market trust and share.

However, the discharge of nuclear wastewater into the sea will likely undo those efforts, leaving fishermen there with no other recourse than to protest against the plan.

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