Hong Kong vows to tighten curbs on Japanese food imports if radioactive waste water discharged into sea near Fukushima
- Environment minister Tse Chin-wan urges country to refrain from releasing radioactive waste water into sea before international community reaches consensus
- Import of aquatic products from Fukushima and nearby high-risk prefectures will be banned if plan goes ahead, he warns
Hong Kong’s environment minister has warned that imports of Japanese food will be further restricted if the country presses ahead with a controversial plan to discharge radioactive waste water into the sea.
The international community should first reach a consensus on the possible dangers involved and the next steps Japan should take, said Secretary for Environment and Ecology Tse Chin-wan on Thursday.
“It is irresponsible for the Japanese government to ignore the strong concerns of the international community and insist on discharging the radioactive waste water into the sea,” Tse said in a strongly worded opinion piece for a local newspaper.
A fish caught last month in the harbour where the plant is located was found to contain 180 times the maximum limit of the radioactive element caesium allowed under Japan’s food safety laws.
Tse said the discovery proved that food safety concerns were “a serious issue in reality” and “not merely an academic discussion”.
The bureau had been in touch with Japanese authorities, the consulate in Hong Kong and China’s foreign ministry office in the city to express its concerns, he noted.