TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Experts advise those desiring seafood to avoid eating fish bones and heads, where radioactive substances like strontium-90 tend to accumulate following public concerns regarding Japan's recent decision to release treated Fukushima wastewater.
Since Aug. 24, Japan has been discharging the treated wastewater from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant into the ocean, igniting strong protests from fishermen in neighboring countries.
The 30-year disposal plan was criticized by Greenpeace, which asserted flaws in Japan's wastewater processing technology and inadequate radiation risk assessment.
They noted that, to date, around 1.34 million tons of Fukushima's radioactive wastewater remain, and due to defects in Tokyo Electric Power Company's (TEPCO) ALPS (Advanced Liquid Processing System), about 70% of the wastewater needs reprocessing.
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida tried to buoy seafood consumption, urging cabinet members to eat seafood dishes; however, China and Hong Kong have halted imports of Japanese aquatic products, potentially impacting Japan's economy.
TEPCO confirmed between May 2022 and May 2023, 44 fish contaminated with Cesium were found in a port near the Fukushima Plant, as reported by The Guardian. One case even exceeded the norm by 180 times.
Independent scientists claim Japan's decision is technically sound, and similar discharge projects worldwide have encountered no accidents.
According to reports by the United Nations and overseeing bodies featured in The New York Times, the health risks of seafood tainted by the nuclear plant are much lower than public concerns suggest. Rebuilding public confidence in seafood, however, may take time.
