Japan's economy and industry minister has held talks with fishers in Fukushima and two neighboring prefectures over a plan to release treated and diluted water from the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.

The government plans to release the treated water after diluting it to reduce tritium levels to one-seventh of the World Health Organization's safety standards for drinking water. The operator of the plant, Tokyo Electric Power Company, is preparing to start discharging the water into the ocean by around this summer.

Minister Nishimura Yasutoshi had separate talks with representatives of local fisheries industries in Miyagi, Fukushima and Ibaraki prefectures on Saturday to brief them on progress.

In a meeting with Fukushima fishers in Iwaki City, Nishimura said it's necessary to release the treated and diluted water into the ocean as a step toward decommissioning the plant. He promised that the government will work to ensure the livelihood of local fishers is preserved while the decommissioning work proceeds.

Nozaki Tetsu, the head of the Fukushima federation of fisheries cooperatives, said that local fishers remain opposed to the water release plan. But he added that they hope as Fukushima residents that the plant decommissioning will be completed. He said they want to explore a way forward through continued talks with the government.

The International Atomic Energy Agency is expected to release the results of its comprehensive safety assessment of the water discharge plan as early as this month.

The government plans to use the IAEA report to support its case for the water's release, both domestically and internationally.