Japan resumes seafood exports to China after ban over Fukushima wastewater

Beijing imposed a two-year prohibition implicit the discharge of treated radioactive wastewater from the tsunami-hit Fukushima plant

Japan has restarted seafood exports to China aft Beijing lifted a two-year ban, which was implemented implicit the contentious merchandise of treated radioactive wastewater from the tsunami-hit Fukushima Daiichi atomic powerfulness plant.

Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara said connected Friday that 6.6 tonnes of scallops were shipped to China connected Wednesday, marking the archetypal specified transportation since Beijing banned Japanese seafood successful August 2023.

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The Fukushima Daiichi works suffered triple meltdowns pursuing a immense earthquake and tsunami successful 2011, causing immense leaks of radioactive wastewater that needed to beryllium stored successful tanks.

More than 18,000 radical perished successful the archetypal disaster, and immoderate 2,300 person died from deaths related to the aftermath successful the region.

Japan started releasing treated radioactive water from the works into the Pacific Ocean successful August 2023, contempt concerns among neighbouring countries. In response, Beijing banned seafood imports from Japan, citing the hazard of radioactive contamination.

Tokyo said the merchandise of the h2o was harmless and supported by the International Atomic Energy Agency, the United Nations atomic watchdog. It criticised China for spreading “scientifically unfounded claims”.

China announced it would assistance the prohibition successful June, pursuing repeated negotiations betwixt the 2 sides.

‘A affirmative move’

The agreed woody laid retired respective caller procedures for Japan, whose food processing facilities are required to registry with China. Exporters besides request to see certificates of inspection, guaranteeing that seafood has been checked for radioactive material.

The Chinese prohibition had inflicted a large stroke connected Japan’s seafood industry, particularly scallop and seafood cucumber exports, with China the biggest overseas marketplace for Japanese seafood.

“The authorities takes the improvement arsenic a affirmative move,” said Kihara.

The scallops exported this week were harvested successful Hokkaido prefecture, though Beijing is maintaining a prohibition connected seafood from Fukushima and 9 adjacent prefectures.

Kihara said Japan volition proceed to impulse Beijing to assistance the remaining bans and resume importing Japanese beef.

China halted imports of Japanese beef successful 2001 pursuing an outbreak of bovine spongiform encephalopathy, popularly known arsenic huffy cattle disease, successful September 2001.