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Critically eyed goods: mussels from Japan in a restaurant in Hong Kong
Photo: Ym Yik/ dpa
Because Japan plans to dump cooling water from the Fukushima nuclear ruin into the sea, China has announced tighter import controls for Japanese food. The Chinese customs authority said it wanted to strengthen the "one hundred percent inspection" of imported food and "strictly check" corresponding certification documents. In addition, existing import bans on food from 10 of Japan's 47 prefectures will be maintained. The aim is to prevent "radioactively contaminated Japanese food" from entering China.
On Tuesday, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Grossi, gave his approval for the disposal in the sea during a visit to Japan. Japan's plan meets international safety standards, according to his agency's final review report. China criticized the report.
The Chinese customs authority pointed out that there was no unanimity among the authors. Grossi had said in an interview with the Reuters news agency that he had heard concerns from one or two people involved. However, these were not expressed directly to him, and the report was also "scientifically impeccable".
The Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant melted down in 2011 as a result of an earthquake and tsunami. The reactors still need to be cooled with water stored in tanks. According to the operator Tepco, the space is now running out. Before dumping, the water is treated. The system can filter out 62 nuclides, except for the radioactive isotope tritium. Tepco wants to dilute the water to such an extent that the concentration drops to around 1500 becquerels per liter, which is less than one-fortieth of the national safety standard.
Japan's threshold for releasing tritium is less than 22 trillion becquerels per year, according to the government, which is far stricter than in other countries, including its two neighbors, China and South Korea. In 2021, for example, China's Yangjiang nuclear power plant released around 112 trillion becquerels of tritium, while the Kori power plant in South Korea released around 49 trillion becquerels of the radioactive material.
(Read an interview with environmental scientist Jim Smith here, who thinks the measure is harmless, even overdue.)
Fishermen fear for their business
The introduction is scheduled to begin in the summer, it is also controversial in Japan. Fishermen from Fukushima fear a worse business. In South Korea, the announcement from Tokyo led to panic buying of salt and a hunger strike by several opposition lawmakers.
The government in Seoul, on the other hand, said that the discharge of the water would have only a "minor" impact on South Korea. A separate investigation into Tokyo's plans has concluded that Japan will meet or exceed key international standards, said Bang Moon Kyu, Minister of Political Coordination. According to him, it would take up to ten years for the water discharged into the Pacific Ocean to come close to the Korean Peninsula.
dab/dpa-AFX/AFP