In a recent development, Russia has followed in China’s footsteps by implementing restrictions on the import of fish and seafood from Japan, citing concerns related to the controversial release of treated radioactive water from the damaged Fukushima nuclear power plant into the Pacific Ocean. (News: Reuters)
This issue first gained global attention when Japan initiated the release of treated radioactive water into the Pacific Ocean in August. Tokyo has consistently defended this move, claiming it to be safe. However, it faced severe criticism from China, which promptly responded by banning all seafood imports from Japan. This marked the beginning of a series of international actions and reactions.
Russia’s agricultural watchdog, Rosselkhoznadzor, announced on Monday that it was imposing restrictions on seafood import from Japan as a “precautionary measure.” These restrictions will remain in place until comprehensive information can assure the safety of the seafood in question.
Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries swiftly responded to Russia’s ban, expressing that it had “no scientific basis, is unjust and regrettable.” They have called for the ban to be lifted and remain committed to providing scientific evidence to prove the safety of their seafood.
In a statement released earlier, Japan’s foreign ministry noted that it had shared additional information with Russia by October 15th. Furthermore, it pledged to continue transparently providing explanations based on scientific evidence while cooperating with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
Japan has sought to address Russia’s concerns by explaining its inspection methods for radioactive materials, including tritium, in aquatic products. They have also emphasized the safety of Japanese aquatic products, backed by scientific evidence.
In the pursuit of transparency and international cooperation, the IAEA Marine Environmental Laboratories will conduct an inspection of the Fukushima water release from October 16th to 23rd. Independent third-party laboratories from Canada, China, and South Korea are set to participate in this year’s monitoring, which signifies a multilateral effort to ensure the safety of the Pacific Ocean.
Russia’s decision to restrict on seafood import from Japan is significant due to the proximity of the two nations’ fishing waters. The far eastern regions of Russia, where a substantial portion of their fish and seafood is caught, are relatively close to Japan. In the first nine months of this year, Russia imported 118 metric tonnes of fish and seafood from Japan, according to Rosselkhoznadzor.
Japan, on the other hand, is a major export market for Russian seafood, standing alongside China and South Korea. These developments have sparked concerns among stakeholders in the seafood industry, as the restrictions could impact the global seafood trade landscape.
