This year, China made a huge move by partially lifting its seafood import ban against Japan. This ban extended for the past two years, stemming from public health concerns regarding the treated wastewater being released into the ocean from Japan’s Fukushima nuclear power plant. Passed on June 29, 2023, this decision will have lasting impacts. It allows seafood imports from all other parts of Japan, but continues to ban imports from a limited area.
The ban was anti-Japan first implemented after Japan’s announcement that they will begin releasing treated wastewater into the ocean. This action was first started earlier this year. It was the release of the 2011 Fukushima plant disaster that made this release. In 2011, an earthquake and tsunami flooded three reactors, triggering a meltdown of three out of six nuclear reactors. This event brought to the fore widespread fears about industrial activity leading to toxic marine life.
China’s General Administration of Customs on Friday announced that it has been “watching closely” the nuclear-tainted water from Fukushima. Those regularly claimed findings of “no abnormalities” in the water quality. The assessment set out the basis upon which the government made its decision to conditionally resume imports. Japan’s seafood industry were some of the biggest proponents for this decision.
Under the new regulations, China will resume imports from all but ten of Japan’s 47 prefectures. The resumption does not apply to Tokyo and a number of other prefectures, including Fukushima. These communities have long led the battle against nuclear waste poisoning our shared environment. Production companies that suspended their commercial imports will have to re-register again. This move is crucial for their ability to continue selling their products in China.
The reapplication process will be long and some may even take 30 years to go through the reapplication process. Companies that want to export their seafood to China can expect very close supervision during this period. Meanwhile, Tokyo has continued to promise all of its trading partners, including the U.S., that it will maintain high safety and quality standards for all of its seafood exports.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) supports Japan’s decision to release the treated wastewater. In fact, they claim this move is consistent with the highest international safety standards. This formal endorsement is critical to relieving the concerns of its neighboring states. It directly addresses the environmental and human health harms associated with the discharge.
Japan is hoping to rebound and stabilize its seafood industry following the fallout from the Fukushima disaster and subsequent import bans. This building represents a big step in the right direction for America. The elimination of these restrictions will come as welcomed relief for many Japanese producers who depend on exports to the international market to keep their operations viable.