Fukushima water: Government urged to ensure imported food safe
Published on: Monday, August 28, 2023
Journalists film the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant damaged by the massive 2011 earthquake and tsunami from the nearby Ukedo fishing port in Namie town, northeastern Japan, Aug. 24, 2023. (AP pic)
Kota Kinabalu: Parti Solidariti Tanah Airku (Star) Tanjung Aru Division Chief Hiew Choon Yu hopes the Government will take relevant measures to ensure the supply of imported food is safe.
This includes ongoing monitoring and action regarding food imported from Japan, he said in a statement, Saturday.
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“For the wellbeing of our nation’s citizens, I suggest that our country’s regulatory authorities devise appropriate measures rapidly during the early stages of Japan’s wastewater discharge before the consequences extend worldwide,” he said.
He said Japan’s release of nuclear contaminated water into the ocean is in violation of the resolutions adopted by the United Nations Human Rights Council and the United Nations General Assembly in 2021 and 2022, which emphasised that “having a clean, healthy and sustainable environment is a fundamental human right.”
He said the discharge of nuclear wastewater into the ocean by Japan is an extremely selfish and irresponsible act that places personal interests above the long-term wellbeing of all humanity.
“Japan’s actions are not only deemed unacceptable by the international community but also the residents of Fukushima,” he said.
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He said the local residents of Fukushima revealed that the Japanese government has solely engaged with certain members of the fishing industry, neglecting direct communication with the majority of local fishermen.
“As a result, there is widespread discontentment with the government’s breach of its promises,” he added.
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“Even though Japan is situated to the north of our country, the world’s oceans are interconnected. The release of nuclear wastewater into the ocean will disperse through ocean currents and could extend to the Pacific Ocean in the near future, eventually affecting oceans globally.
At that point of time, coastal countries worldwide, including Malaysia, will inevitably be impacted and unable to escape the consequences.
“Especially in Sabah, renowned globally for its seafood and stunning marine vistas, the discharge of nuclear wastewater into the ocean poses an immediate threat to our fisheries. Following closely is the impact on Sabah’s tourism industry, which heavily depends on the marine ecosystem and its scenic beauty.
“Moreover, given Japan’s continuous 30-year release of 1.34 million tonnes of nuclear wastewater, it will require at least two to three generations to completely escape from this nuclear pollution ordeal,” he said.
On another note, he extended gratitude for the prompt action taken by the Ministry of Health, which initiated the inspections of food imported from Japan using a high-risk criterion (Level 4) to analyse the presence of radioactive substances.
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