Hong Kong ban on Japanese seafood to remain in place until tests, third-party evaluation prove products are safe, officials say

A Hong Kong ban on Japanese seafood that takes effect at midnight will not be lifted until government tests and third-party evaluation prove goods from the 10 prefectures affected are safe following the release of nuclear waste water into the sea, environment officials have said.

The Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department will ramp up efforts from Thursday to test seafood caught in Hong Kong waters for radioactivity on a daily basis rather than monthly, while the Observatory will monitor radiation levels in seawater more frequently, checking once a month instead of quarterly.

With Japan set to begin discharging treated radioactive water from the crippled Fukushima nuclear plant into the sea on Thursday, Hong Kong authorities gazetted an order detailing the types of aquatic products to be banned, covering live, chilled, frozen, dried and preserved goods, seaweed items and sea salt from 10 prefectures.

The government said in the gazette the measures aimed to “prevent or reduce the possibility of danger to public health” as there was uncertainty about the effects of the radionuclides on the food chain as the unprecedented discharge would continue for 30 years or more.

The city is one of Japan’s biggest markets for fisheries exports. Asked how long the ban would remain in force, Permanent Secretary for Environment and Ecology Vivian Lau Lee-kwan said: “I don’t think [lifting it] will happen too soon.”

She said authorities would monitor the operation of the waste water treatment system and statistics from the Japanese side on seawater near the power station.

“Some asked if it is enough to rely on data provided by Japan. Some experts have said that [for their] data to be convincing to other economies, the Japanese government may consider third-party participation and certification of their data,” Lau told a press briefing on the ban.