Russia has decided to halt the import of all fish and seafood from Japan, citing apprehensions stemming from Tokyo’s controversial release of wastewater from the damaged Fukushima nuclear power plant into the sea.
Russia’s Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Supervision (Rosselkhoznadzor) announced the suspension, aligning with China’s temporary restrictive measures on fish and seafood imports from Japan. The suspension, effective from October 16, 2023, is set to endure until there is “comprehensive information confirming the safety of aquatic products and their compliance with the requirements of the Eurasian Economic Union.”
The controversy surrounding Japan’s release of wastewater in August has triggered concerns about the safety of the sea and potential radioactive contamination of the local ecosystem. Russia’s move follows a similar expression of worry by China and other nations.
The Rosselkhoznadzor emphasized that this precautionary measure aims to safeguard against potential risks until the safety of Japanese aquatic products is conclusively verified.
The All-Russian Association of Fisheries reassured that the import restriction would not result in a shortage of fish and seafood in Russia, as the market share of Japanese products is minimal. In 2022, Russia imported a mere 192 tons of fish and seafood from Japan, accounting for only 0.04 percent of its total imports in this category. The figure for the first half of 2023 stood at 100 tons.
Earlier on September 26, Rosselkhoznadzor had expressed concerns about the potential radiological contamination of Japanese seawater and seafood following the release of treated contaminated water from the Fukushima-1 nuclear power plant into the Pacific Ocean. Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) discharged nearly 7,788 cubic meters of processed water, containing approximately 1.1 trillion becquerels of tritium between August 24 and September 11.
TEPCO pledged to maintain tritium concentrations below 1,500 becquerels per litre in the discharged water, asserting that such levels pose no harm to human health or the environment. The release is part of ongoing efforts to manage the accumulated millions of tons of contaminated water at the Fukushima plant.
