( CNN ) -- Japanese fishermen have taken the offensive in their fight against the owner of the stricken Fukushima Daiichi power plant , angrily calling the utility 's actions insulting , incompetent and `` unforgivable '' over the course of the weeks-long nuclear crisis . The National Fishery Corporative Joint Association , a trade group for Japan 's fishing industry , issued a scathing statement on Wednesday just hours after meeting with officials from the Tokyo Electric Power Company , which runs the crippled plant . In it , the group demanded that the utility and Japanese government `` compensate all parties ( that have ) indirectly or directly suffered '' as a result of the situation . `` Tokyo Electric has not been capable of understanding the damage at the plant and ( contaminated ) water . That led to this serious situation , '' the group said in the statement . `` Tokyo Electric and the government ( share ) responsibility for this situation . It is unforgivable , '' the message continues . `` All those who are living and sustaining their lives on the sea are feeling strong rage against ( the utility and the government 's ) irresponsible behavior . '' Members of the fishing group said they are particularly angry about the decision made and enacted Monday to dump 11,500 tons of radioactive water into the Pacific Ocean . This happened just hours after the group specifically requested it not be done -- leaving its members feeling ignored . Besides that complaint , fishery association representatives blasted Tokyo Electric 's claim that nuclear power plants were safe and that such accidents would never happen . An official from the utility company said Tokyo Electric officials offered apologies and vowed to improve the situation . This was shortly after they confirmed , early Wednesday , that one leak outside the No . 2 reactor , through which water that had radiation levels millions of times the legal limit , was rushing into the sea . Mincing no words , the fishing industry demanded as much -- saying that stopping leaks of contaminated water into the sea was needed `` to prevent the death of the fishing industry . '' `` We demand that Tokyo Electric and the government react to all the problems provoked by this outrageous decision ( to dump radioactive water in the sea ) and flush out highly contaminated water '' now in the ocean , the association said in its statement said . Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano on Wednesday apologized for how the government had communicated why the dump of radioactive water was necessary . He explained that it contained 1/200,000ths the level of radiation as that in and around the No . 2 reactor , one of six at the nuclear plant , and that authorities decided to clear out the less radioactive liquid in order to make room in a waste water treatment facility . `` So it was a measure to prevent more serious marine contamination , '' the Japanese official said . `` But we needed to explain the reasoning better to the people ( impacted by it ) . '' Whatever the radiation level , Timothy Jorgensen , chair of the radiation safety committee at Georgetown University Medical Center , explained that this dumped water should quickly dilute considering it is equivalent to dumping five swimming pools worth of water into a Pacific Ocean that has roughly `` 300 trillion swimming pools full of water . '' Still , Japanese authorities have noted higher-than-normal radiation levels in some young eels . And in addition to its impact on aquatic life directly , some fear the mere possibility of radiation in seafood may deter consumers domestically and abroad from eating products that originated in waters off Japan . Citing such `` rumors , '' Edano said Tuesday that authorities will step up the monitoring of radiation in seafood , partly in a bid to assure the public that whatever gets on the market is safe . The new Japanese government standards will rely upon enforcement by city and town health inspectors , not those with the prefectures , according to Edano . As with milk and vegetables , certain fish can be removed from the restricted list if levels of radiation come in below the legal limits for three weeks in a row . As to the fishermen themselves , the Cabinet minister said Wednesday that , in addition to a larger compensation package to be decided upon later , the government is considering a preemptive payout . Similar payments will likely go to farmers , who have been explicitly affected by the nuclear crisis much longer than those in the fishing industry . Japan first imposed restrictions on the sale and distribution of milk and certain vegetables , like spinach , on March 20 -- more than two weeks before Edano announced Tuesday that radiation levels would similarly be regulated in seafood . One scientist , whose institute will start conducting research next month tracking radiation off Japan , said it 's likely that such levels in fish will increase for six months -- as the contamination gets in the food supply -- then gradually go down over two or more years . Still , given the standards now being set , he thinks people should feel comfortable eating seafood from Japan . `` The current regulations are quite reasonable , '' said Jin Misonou , a research fellow for the Tokyo-based Marine Ecology Research Institute . `` So , of course , please eat fish . It is good to revive the fishing industry . '' CNN 's Kyung Lah and journalists Hiroo Saso and Gen Shimada contributed to this report .
Members of Japan 's fishery association met Wednesday with Tokyo Electric officials . They say the utility ignored their pleas not to dump tons of radioactive water at sea . The group cites `` rage '' among fishermen for what it called `` irresponsible behavior '' A Japanese official says fishermen will get money for suffering due to to nuclear crisis .