THE SEA IS NOT A SEWER

By Huang Jiangqin

Children during a demonstration on August 27 in Semenyih, Selangor State of Malaysia,to protest Japan’s release of nuclear-contaminated water into the sea. (ZHANG WENZONG)

A total of 7,788 tons of treated radioactive water had been discharged into the Pacific Ocean from Japan’s wrecked Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant by September 11 in the first round of disposal as planned, said the plant operator Tokyo Electric Power Company(TEPCO), according to Japanese daily newspaper Sankei Shimbun.The second round of discharge scheduled for early October will release some 7,800 tons of nuclear-contaminated water.

Disregarding serious concerns and opposition from the international community,Japan’s move to dump the Fukushima water into the sea transferred the risk of nuclear pollution to neighboring countries and the entire world,evoking strong criticism from Thailand, the Philippines,Malaysia, and other ASEAN member states. These countries urged the Japanese government to stop the wrongful action,assume relevant international legal obligations, and choose practical action to earn the trust of the international community.Thailand and Malaysia announced tighter screening of Japan-produced aquatic products.

The Japanese government’s decision ignored the safety and concerns of neighboring countries and endanger the food chain of mankind, which is tantamount to a criminal act.

Utterly Irresponsible

In an interview with China’s Xinhua News Agency,Indonesian parliament member Luluk Nur Hamidah expressed bitter opposition to Japan’s ocean discharge of Fukushima nuclear-polluted water,stressing that such an approach was utterly irresponsible and posed a serious threat to the marine environment and human health.“Selfish, irresponsible, and arrogant, Japan’s actions could inflict permanent damage on the marine environment,” said Joseph Matthews, a senior professor at Cambodia’s BELTEI International University. “In the coming decades, radioactive materials in the discharged water will remain in the Japanese waters and even the entire Pacific Ocean and harm the global seafood trade. The Japanese government’s decision ignored the safety and concerns of neighboring countries and endanger the food chain of mankind, which is tantamount to a criminal act.” Chong Tien Siong, former editor-in-chief of Malaysian newspaper Nanyang Siang Pau, criticized the Japanese government’s actions as selfish,irresponsible, and in violation of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. “The Convention stipulates the general obligations of states to protect and preserve the marine environment,” Chong said.“Japan’s disposal of radioactive water failed to exercise due regard for international law and challenged the stability and rationality of the international legal system.”

Neighbors’ Protest

On August 27, people in Semenyih, Selangor State of Malaysia, held a demonstration in protest of Japan’s release of nuclear-contaminated water into the sea. Protesters chanted and carried placards and banners during the march, and tens of thousands of people signed posters to express concerns and condemn Japan’s actions. The signed placards and banners were later sent to the Japanese Embassy in Malaysia,according to local newspaper The Star.

Filipino newspaper Manila Standard reported that on August 26, a few days after Japan started the first round of Fukushima nuclear-polluted water dumping, members of the National Federation of Small Fisherfolk Organizations in the Philippines (also known as PAMALAKAYA) and environment groups Earth Island Institute and Youth Advocates for Climate Action Philippines gathered outside the Japanese Embassy in Manila to protest Japan’s move.

Local English newspaper The Philippine Star also covered the protest demonstration. “We can’t allow other countries to treat the sea as their sewer,” said PAMALAKAYA, a fisherfolk group with a membership of more than 100,000. “The water discharged from the nuclear power plant is essentially radioactive waste. If the treated radioactive water is truly safe,why wouldn’t Japan dump it directly into Tokyo Bay?”

“The Japanese government must heed the growing clamor of its neighboring countries,” said PAMALAKAYA Vice Chair Ronnel Arambulo on August 22. “We will work together with the international community to oppose Japan’s discharge plan that may cause imminent environmental disaster.” The organization announced a series of protests and urged the Philippine government to take a unified stance.

PAMALAKAYA said the release of treated wastewater could endanger local fishing resources, coinciding with the approaching northeast monsoon. The resource-rich Philippine Rise, located east of Luzon, is one of the most exposed and vulnerable parts of the country’s waters.

“Japan’s dumping of nuclear-contaminated water is extremely irresponsible and threatens the future of mankind because radioactive materials in the ocean will constantly threaten human health,” said Herman Tiu Laurel, founder of the Philippine-BRICS Strategic Studies, adding that a huge fishing community in the Philippines depends on the sea for a living and that discharge of toxic nuclear waste will affect their livelihood and global seafood production and trade.“Will the Japanese government provide compensation for these losses?” he asked.

Strict Screening

The Thailand Consumer Council (TCC) has asked government authorities to take strict measures to screen seafood imported from Japan,according to an August 27 Bangkok Post article titled “Fears linger over possibly ‘radioactive’seafood from Japan.”

“I would like to urge Thailand’s Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Department of Fisheries to urgently take preventive measures, especially random checks of imported seafood both at checkpoints and at local markets,” said TCC Chairman Panuchote Thongyang, who also called for the two agencies to publicize the measures they have taken to allay fears among consumers.

Thongyang noted that many countries have suspended imports of marine products from Japan for fear they could be contaminated by a radioactive isotope. “Radioactive substances from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant caused many Japanese cities to have been declared off-limits about 12 years ago,” he opined.“Four years after the nuclear disaster, access to many of those cities was still prohibited,and some were completely abandoned. This indicated that the leaked radioactivity spread to adjoining areas.”

In response to public demand, FDA Deputy Secretary-General Lertchai Lertwut said on August 26 that after an emergency FDA meeting with the Department of Fisheries,the Office of Atoms for Peace,and the Thailand Institute of Nuclear Technology, the country decided to adopt stronger safety measures for fishery products imported from Japan. Thai customs and food safety authorities stand ready to double the collection of samples for examination of Japanese seafood, the FDA official added.

To protect the safety and health of domestic consumers, Malaysia’s Health Ministry announced a temporary ban on the import of aquatic products from Japan and required radioactivity testing of all Japan-produced food, according to The Star.

The Malaysian Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security said it would work with other relevant authorities such as the Department of Fisheries,the Fisheries Development Authority, and the Malaysian Quarantine and Inspection Services to ensure seafood security. The country will also consult with other ASEAN countries to develop a coordinated approach to this issue.

The Philippine Star published an article titled “Fishers fear Fukushima wastewater release will affect Philippine waters” on August 22.

Indonesian national news agency ANTARA published an article with a title translating in English to “Indonesian Foreign Minister urges Japan for transparency and monitoring in Fukushima water release.”

Thailand’s Bangkok Post published an article titled “Fears linger over possibly ‘radioactive’ seafood from Japan” on August 27.

Malaysian newspaper The Star published an article titled “Fukushima wastewater release: M’sia to screen food from Japan like it did in 2011” on August 24.

Members of environment and fisherfolk groups hold placards opposing dumping of Fukushima nuclearcontaminated water into the Pacific Ocean during the Pandesal Forum held in Manila, capital of the Philippines, on August 24. (ZHANG XINGLONG)

Malaysia’s imports from Japan are largely aquatic products and related processed foods as well as fruits,vegetables and beverages.“Food safety is not something that will be compromised,” said Health Ministry special advisor Kelvin Yii. “And through the Health Ministry,‘high-risk’ food imports from Japan will be subject to Level 4(surveillance) examination to screen for radioactive elements as the island nation moves to release water from its troubled Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant.”

Malaysia carried out examination of Japanese food imports from May 2011 to April 2012 following the earthquake that led to a nuclear reactor meltdown at the Fukushima power plant, and Malaysian officials said they would restart similar testing, according to a The Star article titled “Fukushima wastewater release:M’sia to screen food from Japan like it did in 2011.”

Closer Monitoring Required

Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi called on Japan to ensure transparency when releasing the treated radioactive water from the Fukushima power plant into the Pacific Ocean and continuously monitor the process, according to Indonesian national news agency ANTARA.

“There are two key aspects to the Fukushima power plant,” Marsudi remarked following a working meeting with the House of Representatives in Jakarta. “The first one is regarding the transparency of the (water-dumping)process, and the second is a need for monitoring.” She also requested that the Japanese government coordinate with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to address the radioactive water issue.

On August 27, the IAEA independently took a sample of released water and vowed to continue to monitor Japan’s initiative to release the water from the wrecked Fukushima power plant into the sea. “We will continue independent sampling and monitoring until completion,” wrote IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi on his social media account.Grossi revealed that based on the latest sampling activity at the power plant, the IAEA confirmed that the tritium levels in the discharged filtered water were still far below the operational limits.

Japan’s Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant began discharging treated and diluted nuclear-contaminated water into the Pacific Ocean on August 24. Before the release, the radioactive water was stored in about 1,000 tanks at the plant with a total capacity of 1.37 million tons. According to plant operator TEPCO, all the tanks were expected to reach full capacity by mid to late 2023, and space is not available for new storage tanks. The company said failure to discharge the wastewater into the sea would delay the decommissioning of the nuclear power plant.

“Radioactive substances cannot be simply removed because they remain persistently in the ecosystem,” said a lecturer at the Faculty of Fisheries and Marine Science at Indonesia’s Sam Ratulangi University. “Tuna from around Fukushima could reach Indonesian waters. The international community wants to make sure the released water is completely free of radioactive elements, and Japan should assume due responsibility on the issue.”

Indonesian authorities have pressed the Japanese government to work with the IAEA on nuclear wastewater discharge monitoring and information disclosure to ensure transparency and take proactive and preventive measures against potential risks to the fishing industry.