The Fukushima controversy clock continues to tick, and with it global concerns (sincere or self-interested). As radioactive waters continue to flow into the ocean since last August (and will do so for decades), the question everyone is asking is: “Can I trust Japanese fish?”
The IAEA has decided to tackle the problem at its root, sending a team of experts to examine the safety of fish caught in the waters surrounding the plant which experienced one of the worst disasters in the history of nuclear power.
Radioactive water: a growing problem
Since the Fukushima nuclear disaster struck Japan in 2011, radioactive water management has become a sensitive issue (in 2019 we accomplished that simply reclaiming the water would have been impossible). Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings (TEPCO), the plant's operator, began releasing treated water into the ocean on August 24, 2023. A spill that is expected to continue for many years to come.
Not everyone, as you know, agreed with this decision. Fishing groups and neighboring countries such as China and Russia have expressed strong opposition, going so far as to ban all imports of Japanese seafood. Are their fears well-founded?
The IAEA at work
A team ofInternational Atomic Energy Agency was sent to Marine Ecology Research Institute in the coastal city of Onjuku, near Tokyo. Its job is to inspect the collection and processing of seawater, sediment and fish samples from the areas surrounding the plant. These samples will then be sent for further testing to the IAEA and 10 other research facilities in Japan, South Korea, China and Canada.
The target? Guarantee transparency and safety of water release.
Laboratories must compare results using the same standards. "In this way," says Yolanda Osvath, head of the IAEA Radiometrics Laboratory, “labs can trust each other's data.” The IAEA has already examined TEPCO's wastewater release plan and concluded that, if carried out as intended, it will have a negligible impact on the environment, marine life and human health.
Sushi Bar Fukushima: how will controls on Japanese fish work?
Six species of fish were selected for testing: olive turbot, crimson bream, red mullet, Japanese mackerel, silver croaker and pufferfish. They are species known to have higher levels of radioactivity than others due to the areas they tend to move through.
During the laboratory visit, technicians prepared samples for measuring tritium, the element that cannot be removed from wastewater from the Fukushima plant's treatment system. Other lab workers instead packaged samples of processed fish to measure cesium, which experts say is important to monitor because it tends to remain in fish muscles.
Fukushima fish: the importance of reliability
In a world where fake news can easily fuel fears and prejudices, extreme rationality is needed. The IAEA is doing crucial work to ensure that Fukushima's radioactive waters are managed safely and transparently. And actions like these are essential to having solid data on which to base our decisions.
There is no time to lose. The safety of our food and the environment is at stake, and science is our best ally to face these challenges with open eyes and an open mind.
