Hongkong To Ban More Products From Japan If Fukushima Wastewater Released

Hong Kong is threatening to ban more seafood products from Japan if the planned release of Fukushima water waste into the ocean will be pushed through.

In a press conference on Tuesday, Chief Executive John Lee said that the Hong Kong government would take measures as he called the planned release of the waste water from the disaster-cripped Fukushima nuclear power plant an "unprecedented exercise."

He added that he took the issue seriously as it affects not only the current situation in their country but also the next generation.

"The action we will take, if the exercise really starts, is that we will be banning a large number (of) prefectures' sea products," Lee said as reported by the Associated Press.

Tse Chin-wan, Hong Kong Secretary for Environment and Ecology, said that the ban on sea products includes imports of all live, frozen, refrigerated, dried, or otherwise preserved aquatic goods, sea salt, and unprocessed or processed seaweed.

Japan's controversial move, approved by the United Nations nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency, has faced strong opposition from neighboring countries over concerns of food safety.

The Hong Kong government is set to craft policies in response to Japan's plan.

"The risks are very unknown," Lee said. "I must ensure that food safety is protected in Hong Kong."

Read Also: The Fukushima Effect: Insidious Radiation Impact

Japan's appeal to Hongkong

The Japanese government has made a strong appeal to Hong Kong officials not to impose restrictions on Japanese food imports.

According to Reuters, the foreign ministry of Tokyo reported that Japan and Hong Kong officials met on Wednesday to discuss the matter.

Japan explained its plan to discharge the treated water and assured the safety of Japanese food products.

Food imports from five Japanese prefectures, including Fukushima, are currently restricted in Hong Kong. It has suspended imports of vegetables and fruits from Fukushima and requires radioactive substance testing certifications for shipments of fisheries products.

Hong Kong is one of the major buyers of Japanese farm and sea products, according to NHK World Japan. In 2022, exports to Hong Kong amounted to more than $1.4 billion.

China vigilance against Japanese food products

Aside from Hong Kong, China is concerned about the safety of Japanese food products and strengthening scrutiny as they maintain a ban on their food items.

According to Nikkei, Chinese customs will strictly review the documents of imported goods from Japan, especially aquatic products.

The customs added, the decision was made to prohibit "radioactive contaminated" Japanese food from entering China and protect the food safety of their people.

China is the biggest buyer of Japan's seafood products.

South Korea also faces challenges in their food production, especially sea salt and other seafood products, as people grow weary of the safety of their food following Japan's plan to dump treated radioactive water into the Pacific Ocean.

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