Japan grapples with plans at Fukushima

Japan has begun to discharge radioactive treated wastewater into Thai Binh from the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant (in Okuma City, Fukushima Prefecture), which was destroyed in the 2011 tsunami-earthquake disaster. Duong (local time) at 13:3 on August 24.

China raised the strongest objection by broadly suspending seafood imports from Japan. According to China Customs, the decision took effect on August 24 to prevent radioactive contamination risks and ensure food safety.

China’s Ministry of Ecology and Environment also said it would strengthen radiation monitoring in the country’s seas and monitor any related effects, according to the news agency. Bloomberg,

Earlier, China banned food imports from 10 prefectures surrounding the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant. The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (China) also announced similar restrictions this week.

Aerial images show that the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant began releasing treated radioactive water into the Pacific Ocean on August 24. Photo: KYODO

On the same day, the Chinese Foreign Ministry stated that the Japanese side “should not cause secondary harm to the local people and even the people of the world”.

In response, the Japanese government has repeatedly stated that the discharge will meet safety standards, and this is a relatively common practice in the nuclear sector. The plan was launched after a two-year review by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) that found Japan’s strategy would have no significant impact on people or the environment.

The water discharge plan was given the green signal by the IAEA in July this year. The Tokyo government criticized China’s comments as “scientifically unfounded claims”.

In South Korea, Korean Prime Minister Han Duck-soo said it is important whether Japan strictly adheres to scientific standards and provides transparent information as promised to the international community.

“Today, our government expects and urges the Japanese government to communicate everything transparently and responsibly during the next 30 years of the water discharge process,” Han stressed.

The Korean government supports Japan’s plan, but some people in the country are still worried. To reassure the public, South Korea still continues to ban seafood and food imports from Fukushima.

Protesters hold a banner saying “No radioactive water in the sea” in front of Tepco’s headquarters in Tokyo – Japan on August 24 – Photo: Reuters

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Mark Brown of the Cook Islands, who is also the president of the Pacific Islands, said: “I believe the discharge meets international standards”; But it also thinks its field can’t agree on this complex issue. According to him, this is a situation that requires rigorous scientific evaluation.

Japanese fishing groups, which have been damaged for years by concerns about radiation, have long opposed plans to release the waters.

Mainland China is currently Japan’s largest seafood export market with a turnover of up to $600 million in 2022, while Hong Kong ranks second. In 2022, the amount of seafood that China imports from Japan accounts for 42% of Japan’s total seafood exports in the same year.

Therefore, Japanese Industry Minister Yasutoshi Nishimura confirmed to reporters on August 24 that the government would specifically ask China to lift the ban on Japanese seafood imports.