Japan Press Weekly

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2011 June 1 - 7 [POLITICS]

Free-trade pact hinders reconstruction effort: JCP Kami

Japanese Communist Party lawmaker Kami Tomoko on June 3 warned that Japan’s entry into a multilateral free-trade agreement will destroy the fishery industry in the disaster-stricken region, urging the government to give up taking part in it.

According the Fisheries Ministry’s estimate, shown by Kami at a House of Councilors budget committee meeting, removal of tariffs will result in the cut in production of “konbu” seaweed by 70 percent and salmon and trout by 60 percent as well as destroy almost all production of “wakame” seaweed.

Pointing out that these fishery products are mainly produced in the disaster-hit Miyagi and Iwate prefectures, Kami stressed that Japan’s entry into a Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement will hinder the post-disaster reconstruction effort.