The Japanese government is calling on China to rescind the ban they have imposed on seafood imports from Japan.This ban was put in place because Japan released treated water from the Fukushima nuclear plant, which was approved by scientific experts.
China, who buys the most fish from Japan, said on Thursday that they are making the order because they are worried about the health of their consumers.
However, scientists disagree with this statement and say that the release does not harm the ocean life or the seafood we eat.
International trade law expert Henry Gao told the BBC that the main reason is not actually about safety concerns. “It is mostly because of Japan’s actions against China,” he explained, mentioning that Japan has been getting closer to the United States and South Korea in the past few years.
After the water was released, experts from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) measured its radiation levels. They found that the radiation levels in the water were even lower than the limits set by Japan, which is 1,500 becquerels per liter. This is about seven times lower than the global standard for safe drinking water.
And even though Japanese fishermen are worried, experts say that the negative impact on Japan’s industry from the trade will not last long and will be smaller than anticipated.
Japan primarily sells its fish to its own citizens.
The people who live in the area eat most of the fish, so the big fish companies Nissui and Maruha Nichiro don’t think China’s ban will affect them much. According to Reuters, both companies’ stock prices went up a little when the ban was announced at the end of the trading day.
No country other than China has suggested a complete ban. South Korea still does not allow imports of seafood from Fukushima and a few nearby areas.
Experts say that even if people eat a lot of seafood, they will only be exposed to very small amounts of radiation. This amounts to about 0. 0062 to 0032 microSv per year, according to Mark Foreman, a professor of nuclear chemistry in Sweden.
Humans can be safely exposed to radiation levels that are up to 1,000 times higher than that, which is equivalent to 1,000 microSv of radiation each year, according to Associate Prof Foreman.
The government of Japan has acknowledged that the local fishing industry will probably suffer significantly.
Beijing had already come under fire for disseminating “scientifically unfounded claims,” and on Thursday night, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida pleaded with Beijing once more to check into the study.
On Thursday night, Mr. Kishida told reporters, “We have asked the revocation (of China’s restriction) through diplomatic channels. We firmly support expert conversation that is grounded in science.
Authorities had already implemented a limited restriction on seafood from select regions of Japan in China and its territories Hong Kong and Macau, but they have now increased that prohibition.
Mainland China and Hong Kong, which each purchase approximately $1.1 billion (£866 million) or 41% of Japan’s seafood exports, are the two largest foreign consumers of Japanese seafood.
According to local media, the leader of a Japanese fisheries union called Japan’s Industry Minister after China’s ban to ask him to push Beijing to lift the restriction.
However, those who monitor the sector are composed because they are aware of the customary fluctuations in supply and demand in international trade.
Although Prof. Gao anticipates some short-term disruption, he added that “soon the exporters shall be able to shift to other markets so the long-term effect will be small.”
In Chinese cities, there will be plenty of seafood delicacies available in restaurants. According to Reuters, China buys a lot more seafood from India, Ecuador, and Russia compared to the amount it buys from Japan. Japan only supplies 4% of China’s seafood imports from foreign countries.
China’s decision to stop importing seafood will hardly have any impact on Japan’s overall economy.
Marine products are only a small part of what Japan trades with other countries. Most of Japan’s trade is made up of cars and machinery exports. Experts say that the effect of prohibiting seafood is very small.
Stefan Angrick, an economist at Moody’s Analytics, said that the release of water in Fukushima has important implications for both politics and the environment.
Economically, if Japan’s food shipments are banned, it won’t have a big impact.
However, many people still believe that the industry is causing harm and is not safe. This is not only the case in China, but also in South Korea where there have been protests by large groups of people.
Before the water was released, fishermen in South Korea noticed that the money they earned from selling their fish was going down. However, the prices of the fish stayed the same on the day after the water was released.
In Japan, polls at people’s homes also indicate a disagreement among the population. The government has worked hard to make both the people feel safe and happy, and to satisfy the business sector. It has promised to give money and help seafood sellers if their sales go down.
On Friday, the government in Osaka suggested serving seafood from Fukushima at its office buildings. The Fukushima plant’s company, Tepco, said it would give money to local businesses if they lost money.
But the people who live here are tough too. After China’s announcement on Thursday, a lot of Japanese people on Twitter were happy about the ban. They jokingly said that it might make fish cheaper in Japan.
Great news despite rising prices. “Someone on Twitter said that Hokkaido sea urchin will be very affordable. “