Russia is contemplating following China’s lead by banning Japanese seafood imports in response to Japan’s release of treated radioactive water from the Fukushima nuclear power plant into the ocean. The move comes as Moscow seeks discussions with Japan regarding the controversial decision.
Last month, Japan initiated the discharge of treated water from the Fukushima plant into the sea, a move that drew sharp criticism from China. In retaliation, China imposed a comprehensive ban on all aquatic imports from Japan.
Russia’s food safety watchdog, Rosselkhoznadzor, announced on Tuesday that it had engaged in discussions about Japanese food exports with its Chinese counterparts. Russia, being one of China’s major suppliers of marine products, aims to expand its market presence.
In a statement, Rosselkhoznadzor expressed its concern about potential radiation contamination risks in Japanese fish products. The statement noted that a final decision regarding joining China’s restrictions on fish product supplies from Japan would be made after negotiations with the Japanese government.
Japan contends that the released water is safe, having undergone treatment to remove most radioactive elements, except for tritium, a radionuclide challenging to separate from water. The treated water is then diluted to meet internationally accepted levels before being discharged.
Japan has countered criticism from both Russia and China, asserting that such objections lack scientific substantiation. Japanese officials have urged Russia to base its actions on scientific evidence and pointed out that Russia is a member of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)’s Fukushima expert team, which approved the water release plan in July.
Japan’s Ministry of Environment, in its latest water testing report on Monday, stated that seawater samples collected on September 19 showed tritium concentrations below the lower limit of detection at all 11 sampling points, asserting that this poses no adverse effects on human health or the environment.
Furthermore, Russia reported no irregularities in marine samples used for tests in Russian regions relatively close to where the treated water was discharged, according to Rosselkhoznadzor’s far eastern branch.
Russia is a substantial exporter of marine products, shipping 2.3 million metric tons worth approximately $6.1 billion last year, which constitutes roughly half of its total catch. China, South Korea, and Japan are among the largest importers of Russian marine products, according to Russia’s fisheries agency.