Nuclear Waste Controversy: Which Countries Are Avid Importers of Fish from Japan?

Japan's decision to release treated radioactive wastewater from the Fukushima nuclear power plant into the Pacific Ocean, starting Thursday, August 24, 2023, has sparked controversy. The policy is considered to potentially impact the surrounding environment.

A BBC report on Saturday, August 26, 2023, stated that since the 2011 Japanese tsunami, Tokyo Electric Power (Tepco), the utility company responsible for the plant, has been pumping water to cool the Fukushima nuclear reactor's fuel rods. This means the plant produces contaminated water daily, which is stored in large tanks.

Over 1,000 tanks have filled, leading Japan to claim that the land occupied by these tanks is needed to build new facilities for safely decommissioning the power plant. Japan also expressed concerns about the potential collapse of these tanks in the event of a natural disaster.

Releasing treated wastewater into the ocean is common practice for nuclear power plants. However, critics argue that the volume of wastewater from Fukushima is on a far larger, unprecedented scale.

Despite support from the UN's nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the wastewater discharge has ignited controversy in Japan due to public concerns about the contamination of seafood.

Several countries, including South Korea and China, have decided to boycott seafood imports from Japan.

"China has tightened radiation testing on Japanese products from Fukushima and nine other prefectures, and has halted exports at customs for weeks," said a Chinese Fisheries Agency official, as quoted by APNews on Saturday, August 26, 2023.

This action is regrettable, considering that China and South Korea are two major importers of fish from Japan.

According to Trademap data, China was the largest importer of fresh fish from Japan in 2022, with imports valued at US$49.82 million. South Korea ranked fifth, with imports valued at US$11.77 million in the same year.

Other countries such as the United States, Hong Kong, and Taiwan also import significant quantities of fresh fish from Japan.

The following are the top 10 countries that imported the most fresh fish from Japan in 2022, by value:

1. China: US$49.82 million
2. United States: US$25.43 million
3. Hong Kong: US$17.65 million
4. Taiwan: US$13.26 million
5. South Korea: US$11.77 million
6. Singapore: US$4.18 million
7. Thailand: US$3.15 million
8. Malaysia: US$1.22 million
9. United Arab Emirates: US$873,000
10. Canada: US$624,000