Hong Kong vows tougher action on Japanese seafood imports if nuclear contamination worsens

Environment authorities say they will track nuclear effluent discharge development and data released by Japan, International Atomic Energy Agency

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Hong Kong has rejected calls from Japanese authorities to lift a ban introduced last August on seafood imports. Photo: Antony Dickson

Published: 9:04pm, 24 Aug 2024Updated: 10:40pm, 24 Aug 2024

Hong Kong has warned of tougher action to restrict Japanese seafood imports if nuclear contamination from the Fukushima power plant worsens, a year after the city banned aquatic products from 10 prefectures in the country.

The Environment and Ecology Bureau issued the warning on Saturday after the government rejected calls from Japanese authorities last week to lift a ban introduced last August on seafood imports, citing concerns over the discharge of treated waste water from the stricken Fukushima nuclear power plant.

But a catering sector representative dismissed the need for further restrictions on Japanese seafood which had already dealt a blow to local restaurants, arguing the current controls were strict enough to ensure safety.

The bureau said it was necessary to take precautionary measures to ensure food safety in the wake of more incidents at the nuclear power plant.

“Over the past year or so, seven accidents at the Fukushima nuclear power plant have been reported by the media alone. The employees needed to be hospitalised due to accidents, and the surrounding environment was polluted,” it said in a Facebook post.

“The most recent accident was just two weeks ago, an average of one in about two months, and the frequency is shocking.