China bans Japan seafood over Fukushima wastewater

China moved to ban all seafood from Japan after the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant began its controversial plan Thursday to release diluted and treated radioactive wastewater back into the Pacific Ocean.

Chinese customs authorities announced Thursday that the ban will start immediately and that they will “dynamically adjust relevant regulatory measures as appropriate to prevent the risks of nuclear-contaminated water discharge to the health and food safety of our country.”

China’s foreign ministry also condemned the move in a statement responding to the initiation of the wastewater release plan, saying, “In disregard of the strong criticism and opposition from the international community, the Japanese government unilaterally started the release of the Fukushima nuclear-contaminated water into the ocean,” adding, “China firmly opposes and strongly condemns it. We have made serious démarches to Japan and asked it to stop this wrongdoing.”

“From the moment Japan started the discharge, it has put itself in the dock in front of the international community and is bound to face international condemnation for many years to come,” according to the statement. “The Chinese government always puts our people’s wellbeing first, and will take all measures necessary to safeguard food safety and the health of our people.”

On Tuesday, the Japanese government gave its final go-ahead to the plant’s operator, Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings (TEPCO), to begin the plan to release the wastewater. 

The plan is controversial, but Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida stressed that it’s an essential step in the plant decommissioning and in the recovery process for Fukushima after a 2011 earthquake and tsunami destroyed the plant’s cooling systems, melting three of the reactors and contaminating the cooling water.

The contaminated water is now being stored in about 1,000 tanks, but those tanks are near capacity and will likely be full by early 2024, as the decommissioning process for the plant continues. There also is a risk that the tanks could leak if the water is not removed.

The detailed plan to release the wastewater into the Pacific Ocean is largely supported by the scientific community, which has concluded that if the plan is followed closely, it will be safe. Under the plan, TEPCO will treat the water and dilute it to levels that are safer than the international standards posed. The water will also be tested regularly and results will be posted online.

The Japanese government has taken steps to appeal to neighboring countries that have expressed concerns about the safety of the plan, as well as to the Japanese fishing community that has expressed concern about the economic impact on the industry.

TEPCO President Tomoaki Kobayakawa also pledged to help local business owners who are suffering from export bans from “the foreign government” in response to China’s announcement Thursday. He pledged to work to have the ban dropped by providing scientific explanations to China about the plan, noting China is a key trading partner.

Kishida has continued to say Japan will protect the fishing industry from reputational damage. Following China’s announcement, Kishida pleaded with China to lift the ban and said, “We will keep strongly requesting that the Chinese government firmly carry out a scientific discussion.”

On Tuesday, Kishida pledged that “the government will take responsibility until the disposal of ALPS-treated water is completed, even if it takes several decades.” 

South Korea, a key ally to Japan, has previously acknowledged its understanding of the scientific evidence to back up the plan to release the wastewater. The South Korean government has said only if Japan strays from the initial plan would it request that Japan stop the release of the water. 

The Associated Press contributed.