China bans Japan seafood due to Fukushima's wastewater release
The Japanese government and TEPCO say the treatment and dilution exceeds international safety standards.
LEARN MOREPosted: 5:06 p.m. EDT Sep 27, 2023
Tritium, a radioactive substance, was not found in the most recent sample collected from fish near the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, where treated radioactive water was released into the sea.
The Japanese Fisheries Agency confirmed that tritium was not detected in samples from 64 fish, including three types of flounder and four other species, collected since Aug. 8, with the most recent collection taking place Sept. 25.
The news comes a month after China suspended seafood imports from Japan due to the release of treated radioactive water into the Pacific Ocean from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant in northern Japan.
"Due to growing momentum for supporting Fukushima following China's ban on Japanese seafood imports, there appears to have been no significant reputational damage domestically," an agency official tells the Japan Times.
The release of water began over 12 years after a severe earthquake and tsunami triggered nuclear meltdowns at the plant in 2011.
The government and the plant operator have argued that the release is an essential aspect of the decommissioning process and will be conducted safely.
According to officials, radioactive elements, except tritium and carbon-14, have been mostly filtered from the water, and Tokyo officials assure that the water mixed with seawater that has been released into the Pacific Ocean meets safety standards for tritium and carbon-14 levels.
However, many have opposed the move, saying there is little data on the long-term effect this could have on the environment and marine life.
The Fisheries Agency aims to analyze about 180 samples by March 2024.
