Demand for Jeju seafood, tourism expected to plunge after Fukushima water discharge

Demand for Jeju Island seafood and tourism is expected to drastically drop once Japan releases radioactive water from the Fukushima nuclear power plant into the ocean in April.

A nationwide survey by the Jeju Research Institute showed that 49.1 percent of 1,000 surveyed intended to reduce purchases of seafood from Jeju.

Of the respondents, 50.4 percent would cut back on buying conch, 48.4 percent on cutlassfish, 47.6 percent on yellow corvina, and 47.5 percent on halibut.

Jeju island’s fishing industry is expected to sustain losses of 448.3 billion won each year.

About half of the respondents also said they would reduce spending on tourism in Jeju.

Almost all of the respondents were aware of Japan’s decision to release the radioactive water.