China: Government to remove import restrictions on Japanese seafood

by Eurofish
packed seafood

The Chinese government has agreed to gradually lift the final import restrictions placed on Japanese seafood products in the wake of the Fukushima nuclear disaster. China introduced the seafood ban in August 2023, after the Tokyo Electric Power Co (TEPCO) began releasing treated wastewater from the defunct Fukushima nuclear plant into the Pacific Ocean. The Chinese decision to remove the ban is contingent on third-party nations, including China itself, taking an active part in the sampling and monitoring of the wastewater. The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs says that it is still opposed to the discharge of the water into the sea, but that the agreement will ensure that Japan fulfils its obligations under international law. Days after the announcement from China, Taiwan also announced that it will lift its remaining restrictions on the import of Japanese seafood. Marine products from Iwate and Miyagi prefectures near Fukushima can now be exported to Taiwan without being inspected for radioactive material. However, imports from Fukushima and surrounding prefectures still need to be accompanied by radiation testing certificates.

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In 2011, a 9.0 magnitude earthquake off the coast of Honshu triggered a tsunami that killed 19,500 people. The tsunami wiped out both the electrical grid and backup power generators at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, causing the meltdown of three reactors and the release of radioactive material into the surrounding environment. The wastewater now being released into the sea was used to cool the reactors to a stable temperature. The release of the wastewater from the Fukushima plant is expected to take thirty years—long enough to ensure that the tiny amounts of radioactive matter left in the treated water do not suddenly cause a spike in radiation levels in the ocean. The UN International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has confirmed that the release plan is consistent with international safety standards. A Russian ban on all Japanese seafood imports remains in place, and seafood products from eight Japanese prefectures continue to be banned in South Korea.

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