Fake news affecting livelihoods of fisherfolk

PETALING JAYA: Following the release into the sea last month of wastewater from Japan’s damaged Fukushima nuclear power plant, a slew of alarming stories about a recent fish die-off along the shore of Teluk Bahang in Penang have emerged.

Despite scientists verifying that the fish fatalities do not have anything to do with radiation, misinformation – including old, unrelated videos – continues to flood social media and has affected domestic seafood sales.