Russia Considers Joining China in Ban on Japanese Seafood Imports

Fishery workers unload seafood caught in offshore trawl fishing at Matsukawaura port in Soma City, Fukushima prefecture, Japan, on Sept. 1, 2023. JIJI Press/AFP via Getty Images

Russia is considering joining China in its ban on Japanese seafood imports following Japan’s actions to release treated radioactive wastewater from the wrecked Fukushima nuclear power plant, Russia’s food safety watchdog Rosselkhoznador said on Sept. 26.

China announced a blanket ban on all Japanese aquatic products after Japan began releasing treated radioactive water into the sea on Aug. 24.

Rosselkhoznador said that it discussed with Chinese representatives the possibility of Japanese fish exports being contaminated with radiation, Russia’s news agency TASS reported.

“Taking into account the possible risks of products being contaminated by radiation, Rosselkhoznadzor is considering the possibility of joining the Chinese in restricting the supply of fish products from Japan,” the regulator stated.

“A final decision will be made after negotiations with the Japanese side,” it stated.

Rosselkhoznador said it has asked Japan to provide information by Oct. 16 about its methodology for testing exported fish products for radiation content, including the residual presence of the radioactive isotope tritium.

This year, Russia has imported about 118 metric tons of Japanese seafood as of September, according to the Russian regulator. The country received 190 metric tons of fish products from Japan in 2022.

Government spokesman Hirokazu Matsuno said that Japan will scrutinize Russia’s remarks but urged the Russian government to “act based on scientific evidence.”

Mr. Matsuno told reporters that Russia was a member of the International Atomic Energy Agency’s expert team that examined and approved the Fukushima water release plan in July.

In its latest report on water testing, Japan’s Environment Ministry said that analysis results of seawater sampled on Sept. 19 showed that tritium concentrations were below the lower limit of detection at 11 sampling points and would have no adverse effects on human health and the environment.

Russia has also detected no irregularities in tested marine samples from Russian regions that are relatively close to where the treated water was released, Rosselkhoznadzor’s far eastern branch said on Sept. 26, according to an Interfax report.

China Urged to Rely on Scientific Evidence

In early September, Japan’s foreign ministry filed a formal complaint with the World Trade Organization against China’s ban and urged the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) regime to repeal the measure.

In the document, the ministry emphasized that Japan’s standard for releasing tritium—which is less than 22 trillion becquerels per year—is lower than China’s for its nuclear reactors.

“For instance, the amount of tritium to be released annually from [Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station] is approximately one-tenth of the amount of tritium released from Qinshan Nuclear Power Plant in China,” the ministry stated.

This aerial picture shows storage tanks used for storing treated water at TEPCO's crippled Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant in Okuma, Fukushima prefecture, Japan, on Aug. 24, 2023.  STR/JIJI Press/AFP via Getty Images

During his talk with Chinese Premier Li Qiang on the sidelines of the ASEAN summit on Sept. 6, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida reiterated Japan’s position on the safe disposal of treated radioactive wastewater and urged Beijing to rely on scientific evidence.

Professor Nobumasa Akiyama of Hitotsubashi University, an expert in international politics and nuclear policy, said he believes that the CCP seeks “to gain diplomatic advantages by consistently maintaining its opposition to Japan’s discharge.”

It’s important for Japan to maintain the international community’s trust rather than to worry about strong opposition from specific countries, Mr. Akiyama said.

“This does not mean that communication is no longer necessary because safety has been scientifically proven,“ he told Japanese media organization NHK. ”Rather, it is necessary to achieve both scientific safety and social security.”

Jon Sun, Olivia Li, and Reuters contributed to this report.