About 100,000 servings of scallops to be provided free for school lunch due to import suspension – Morimachi of Hokkaido (1/2)

Recently NHK News on-line reported the following:

ホタテ約10万食分 給食に無償提供へ 輸入停止で 北海道 森町 (1/2)

2023年9月22日 19時05分

中国が日本産の水産物の輸入を全面的に停止する措置を取ってから24日で1か月です。各地で大きな影響が出る中、ホタテの養殖が盛んな北海道森町は、輸出できずに保管中のホタテおよそ10万食分を全国の学校給食に無償で提供する方針を固めました。

東京電力福島第一原発にたまる処理水の放出で、中国が日本産の水産物の輸入を全面的に停止したことを受けて、生産・加工するホタテの多くを中国に輸出していた北海道森町は対応を検討してきました。

中国の輸入停止から24日で1か月となるのを前に、町は輸出できずに水産会社の冷凍庫で保管されている大量のホタテを買い取り、全国の学校給食で食べてもらうため無償で提供する方針を固めました。

具体的には、町とつながりがあったり要望を寄せたりした全国の自治体を対象に、小学校や中学校の学校給食用としてホタテおよそ10万食分を提供するということです。

町は財源として、政府が風評被害対策として設けた上限1億円の基金を活用することにしていて、来月の町議会で補正予算案が可決されれば、年内にも学校給食への提供を始めたいとしています。

森町の岡嶋康輔町長は「この地域は1次産業で成り立っているので水産関係者の心配は大きい。北海道のホタテは質がよくおいしいので、まずは味を知ってもらい課題の解決につなげたい」と話しています。

(to be continued)

Translation

The 24th marks one month since China took measures to completely suspend imports of Japanese marine products. Amidst the severe impact in many areas, Mori-machi of Hokkaido where scallop farming was popular, had decided a policy to provide free scallops to school as lunches across the country approximately 100,000 servings that could not be exported and were being stored up.

Morimachi of Hokkaido, which had been exporting to China most of the scallops it produced and processed, was considering how to respond after noting that China stopped importing Japanese seafood due to the release of treated water from the TEPCO Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant.

Ahead of the 24th which would mark one month since China suspended imports, the town purchased many scallops that could not be exported and were being stored in the freezers of seafood companies. It had decided on a policy to provide the food free of charge so that it could be eaten in school lunches across the country.

Specifically, it would provide approximately 100,000 servings of scallops for elementary and junior high school lunches to local governments across the country that had connections with the town or had made requests.

The town has decided to use a fund of up to 100 million yen, set up by the government as a countermeasure against reputational damage, as a source of funds. If a supplementary budget bill was approved at next month's town council, it would like to start providing school lunches within the year.

Kosuke Okajima, the mayor of Mori Town said, ``This area is built on primary industry, so there are a lot of concerns for those involved in the fisheries industry. Hokkaido scallops are of good quality and delicious, so I would like people to get a taste of them and help solve the problem.''

(to be continued)