Japan disasters to hit city pearl supply

[KAC]

March 27: The tsunami in Japan and the subsequent radiation scare in Fukushima have had a unique fallout in Hyderabad. The City of Pearls is likely to be hit hard in the next one week as the oyster culture farms in Japan were extensively damaged in the killer waves and most of the surviving molluscs were killed by subsequent high doses of radiation. According to local traders, the city?s pearl industry will start feeling the impact of the tsunami on the Japanese oyster farms in the next one week or so. City pearl dealers are in constant touch with their counterparts in Japan for updates....

http://www.deccanchronicle.com/channels/cities/hyderabad/japan-disasters-hit-city-pearl-supply-160

 

[jshepherd]

I'm not sure that this article is genuine or factually correct. I was at Ago Bay three days after the Tsunami and everything seemed fine. Also, I've heard nothing about radiation in the seawater. In fact, I just found an article that seems to contradict that report.

http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/305120

 

[KAC]

It wouldn't be surprising, there has been a ton of bad information in regards to the quake, tsunami and aftermath. Radiation in the seawater has been on the news a lot the last two days although I can't say exactly where it was they were talking about.

 

[Ramona]

I think the sea around the reactor is highly contaminated. Maybe the article was talking about oyster production for food, which may have happened in the Sendai area?

 

[hopepaua]

I've just came back from Toba where the Mikimoto Pearl Island is to evacuate from Tsunami thread where I live (there is no direct thread from earth quake but because of where Izu peninsula sits effect Tsunami.). Anyways, the information about contamination of sea water is so far unknown which means so many information from Japanese and foreign media,creates problems and top of that the government hasn't seems informed right information to us. The contamination is already had done for some area and as we know sea water always circulate through the world. So far where pearling area hasn't effected though anything might happens for long time effect. I can only say that at least the ocean current is going opposite direction where pearling area and radiation will diluted in the water as expert says. No body know how this tragedy will effect all around world including this industry. We all puzzled and confused by it. We are still in thread for next big earth quake where they're expecting to happens in near future around my area where has 2nd oldest Nuke reactor. I hope people will realize that how to protect nature before ruin everything. And off course without nature, no creation of pearls what we all love.

 

[KarinK]

It appears that there is a crack in the concrete from the damaged nuclear plant that makes the poluted water run into the sea. They have been trying to fix it for the past 1-2 days but it is difficult because it is wet: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-...tempt-to-stop-radiation-leaking-into-sea.html

And yea, I agree, what is in the sea water will travel around the world.

- Karin

 

[Ramona]

The way TEPCO still pumps radioactive water into the sea, they may just save tuna from extinction once cesium travels up the food chain.

 

[lisa c]

Intricate.

 

[KAC]

they may just save tuna from extinction once cesium travels up the food chain.

I wish that was the case - I fear its long been too late to save blue fin tuna though - unless of course there is a ban on sushi. "They" say the levels of contamination in the ocean aren't that bad and it will dissipate but its hard to believe it won't have some effect on our oceans.

 

[Ramona]

They are clearly lying. They will have to drain whatever they dump on these reactors eventually. It will likely take many weeks if not months before they have the cooling under control. Reactor 1 has chain reactions going on and 2 leaks like there is no tomorrow. 3 by its looks cannot be good news either. I think TEPCO has no clue what they are doing. Really sad. I think they will not be doing any fishing in that region for quite a while. But you are probably right about the tuna.

 

[Jen]

i thought the latest news is they are dumping the radioactive water into the sea. thats a few olympic size pools from what i read. i think japan isnt doing justice to the world.

 

[lisa c]

i think japan isnt doing justice to the world.

Do you mean by not being honest, or by dumping the water? I don't think there's anything else they can do re using and dumping the seawater.

 

[Ramona]

I think they are not accurately measuring the radioactivity they are releasing. Hard to say whether they do it intentionally, but it definitely reminds me a lot of BP. Also, we are one step closer to radiactive sushi.

http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-...ed: japantimes (The Japan Times: All Stories)

 

[effisk]

At least there are good chances that they will stop hunting whales in the South Pacific. These costly expeditions were funded by the government for "research purposes", and the Japaneses will probably not be happy to see public funds spent on anything other than reconstruction. Hopefully...

 

[olmander]

What about kasumi pearl production? The lake is between Tokyo and Fukucima and I bet they felt it there in one or another way...

 

[Lagoon Island Pearls]

Undoubtedly, the marine environment near the nuclear plants will be contaminated for some time, but air and waterborne radiation will disperse eventually. Environmental monitoring is ongoing in several countries around the Pacific Rim. Fortunately for us humans, we can avoid buying or collecting or handling contaminated products.

What does concern me though, are the massive rafts of floating debris which have been contaminated. The decontamination rate of these are much slower. Seabirds land on them and schooling fish collect below. Eventually, the Kurishiro current will push much of this flotsam ashore in North America.

I find oriental stuff on the beach all the time. Fishing floats, light bulbs, sake bottles, shampoo containers, hardwood logs etc. In a year or two, we'll likely see alot more debris, except then it might not be adviseable to handle it.

 

[KAC]

that's a good point Dave, the boys out fishing La perouse will be seeing a lot of debris over the next few years no doubt. Hopefully we don't see any major fish or bird kills in because of this disaster.

 

[jshepherd]

I just heard back from a friend in the pearl trade in Kobe. He said that in Gokasho Bay a lot of farmers lost platforms and rafts, but the shells are all fine. So no damage yet to the actual pearl farming trade of Japan.

 

[Caitlin]

I think they are not accurately measuring the radioactivity they are releasing. Hard to say whether they do it intentionally, but it definitely reminds me a lot of BP. Also, we are one step closer to radiactive sushi.

http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-...ed: japantimes (The Japan Times: All Stories)

I thought the disclosures were happening in a BP kind of way. They only give a pinch of info when a bucket is needed

 

[jshepherd]

Reading of environmental radioactivity level by prefecture, Time series data（Graph）
http://www.mext.go.jp/english/radioactivity_level/index.htm