Summary of Agriculture Minister Suzuki's Miyagi Trip

Following the oil spill from a Japan Coast Guard patrol vessel in March 2026, the national government, Miyagi Prefecture, and the relevant fishery cooperatives conducted investigations to confirm whether heavy fuel oil remained in the affected fishing grounds and surrounding waters.

Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Suzuki traveled to Miyagi Prefecture on August 23, 2026, and held a task force meeting concerning the oil spill incident.

At the task force meeting, participants confirmed that they would work together to provide relief for aquaculture operators and others who suffered damage.

A safety declaration stated that there was no problem with conducting aquaculture production in the affected fishing grounds and surrounding waters.

The Japan Coast Guard, working with the Ministry of the Environment and Miyagi Prefecture, collected a total of 74 specimen sets at 48 points in the waters around Sendai-Shiogama Port. The survey dates were June 10, 12, and 16, 2026, for the first survey (37 points); June 30, 2026, for the second survey (23 points); and July 4, 2026, for the third survey (14 points). Seawater and seabed mud were examined, and no A-type heavy fuel oil components were found at any point.

Miyagi Prefecture conducted the first survey on April 7, 2026 (20 points, oil slicks only), the second on May 12, 2026 (8 points), the third on June 10, 2026 (8 points), the fourth on July 7, 2026 (8 points), and the fifth on August 4, 2026 (8 points). The prefecture visually inspected the sea surface and examined seabed mud. Small amounts of oil slicks were found near the patrol vessel in April and May, but no oil slicks or oil odor were found from June onward.