Japan said on Tuesday it would start dumping more than 1 million tonnes of treated radioactive water from the crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant on Thursday, putting into action a plan that has drawn sharp criticism from China.

The plan, approved two years ago by the Japanese government as critical to decommissioning the 9501.T plant owned by the Tokyo Electric Power Company (Tepco), has also faced criticism from local fishing groups who fear reputational problems and threats to their livelihoods .

“I have asked Tepco to quickly prepare to evacuate the water according to the plan approved by the Nuclear Regulatory Authority, and I expect the water evacuation to begin on August 24, weather permitting,” Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said Tuesday morning.

The announcement came a day after the government said it had received “some understanding” from the fishing industry about the spill, although a group of fishermen said they still feared the damage to their reputation would leave them without a livelihood.

“I promise that we will take full responsibility to ensure that the fishing industry can continue to make a living, even if it takes decades,” Kishida said on Monday.

Japan said the water release was safe.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the UN’s nuclear body, approved the plan in July, saying it met international standards and that the impact it would have on people and the environment was “negligible”.

Beijing’s angry reaction

Some neighboring countries have expressed skepticism about the plan’s safety, with China the biggest critic. Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said Japan showed selfishness and arrogance and did not consult with the international community about the water evacuation.

China has banned the import of seafood from 10 Japanese prefectures, including Fukushima and the capital Tokyo. Imports of seafood from other prefectures are allowed, but they must pass tests for radioactivity and have proof that they were produced outside the 10 banned prefectures.

South Korean activists also protested the plan, although Seoul concluded based on its own research that the water release met international standards and said it met the IAEA’s assessment.

The Pacific island nations are divided on the issue, as they have been nuclear test sites for the United States and France in the past.

Fijian Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka issued a statement on Monday in which he said he supported the IAEA report, but acknowledged the issue was controversial in the Pacific islands.

Kishida said on Tuesday that he believed there was a “correct understanding” of the problem in the international community.

Most of the radioactive elements will be filtered out

Japan says the water will be filtered to remove most radioactive elements except tritium, an isotope of hydrogen that is difficult to separate from water.

The treated water will be diluted to tritium levels, well below internationally permitted levels, before being released into the Pacific Ocean.

The water was used to cool fuel rods at Fukushima Daiichi after it melted in an accident caused by a huge tsunami that hit Japan’s east coast in 2011.

A Japanese official said the first results of seawater tests after the spill could be available in early September. Japan will also test fish in waters near the plant and publish the test results on the agriculture ministry’s website.