Welcome   Sponsored By
Subscribe | Register | Advertise | Newsletter | About us | Contact us
   


Image: The Korea Times / FIS

Japan pressures Korea to lift import ban on Fukushima seafood

Click on the flag for more information about South Korea SOUTH KOREA
Monday, July 03, 2023, 01:00 (GMT + 9)

Korea is facing growing pressure from Japan to resume imports of seafood from Fukushima, as Tokyo pushes ahead with plans to discharge treated wastewater from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant that was crippled by a tsunami in 2011.

During a press briefing on Friday, Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said, "Japan will strongly demand (Korea and China) for an early lifting of seafood import bans by explaining that the scientific safety of all of the foods distributed domestically and internationally are being ensured through our existing safety measures."

Photo: The Korea Times

The Korean government has been reassuring the public that the import ban will remain in place regardless of Japan's wastewater release. But a rapid thaw in bilateral relations has increased concerns that Seoul might scrap the ban.

International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Grossi will arrive in Tokyo on Tuesday to deliver his agency's final report on its years-long safety review of the wastewater discharge plan. The IAEA is widely expected to give Japan a thumbs up, considering that its previous reports found the country's measurement of the treated water to be "accurate and precise."

The Japanese government will then announce the exact date of when it will begin releasing the tons of treated ― but still slightly radioactive ― water into the Pacific Ocean, a process which will be carried out for the next three to four decades.

Since 2013, Korea has maintained a comprehensive import ban on fisheries products from Fukushima Prefecture and seven other neighboring regions that were affected by the nuclear disaster due to concerns over radioactive contamination.

The import ban on Japanese seafood is one of the few remaining issues in relations between Seoul and Tokyo as the incumbent Yoon Suk Yeol administration has been pushing to mend ties with the neighboring country.

Photo: The Korea Times

In 2015, Japan lodged an official protest at the World Trade Organization (WTO) against Korea's import ban and additional testing requirements on its seafood products. The dispute settlement body initially ruled in favor of Tokyo in 2018. But the following year, the WTO's appellate body overturned the decision and sided with Seoul.

But now, in light of a series of fence-mending gestures from Korea, Japan is apparently expecting the Yoon administration to ease its restrictions on Japanese seafood products.

Also, there is mounting speculation that the IAEA chief will visit Korea following his trip to Tokyo, to explain his organization's position on the water discharge plan. The Korean government has yet to confirm Grossi's visit. But if the trip comes after the IAEA gives the final greenlight for the wastewater release, the Korean public will not welcome his meeting with Korean officials.

Gallup Korea surveyed 1,007 adults from June 27 to 29 and found that 78 percent of the respondents were worried about the possible ocean and seafood contamination that may be caused by the water discharge.

Meanwhile, according to Japanese media outlets, the European Union (EU) is considering fully removing its import restrictions on Japanese marine and agricultural products, with detailed announcements to be made possibly during Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's summit with EU leaders in mid-July.

Author: Lee Hyo-jin | The Korea Times

Notas relacionadas:

[email protected]
www.seafood.media


 Print


Click to know how to advertise in FIS
MORE NEWS
Viet Nam
Apr 25, 20:00 (GMT + 9):
Vietnam's Tilapia and Pangasius Exports Thrive Despite Market Dynamics
Singapore
Apr 25, 18:00 (GMT + 9):
IN BRIEF - Barramundi Group Ltd: Update on the restructuring process
Canada
Apr 25, 05:30 (GMT + 9):
Certified Seafood International Launches Global Wild-Capture Seafood Certification Program
Peru
Apr 25, 04:50 (GMT + 9):
Peru Reaffirms Regional Leadership in Sustainable Fishing at ALPESCAS Meeting
Finland
Apr 25, 04:40 (GMT + 9):
S Group Leads the Way in Sustainable Seafood: All Private Label Salmon and Chilled Fish Now ASC Certified
Spain
Apr 25, 00:10 (GMT + 9):
The Future of Responsible Aquaculture Unveiled: Join ASC at Seafood Expo Global 2025
Argentina
Apr 25, 00:10 (GMT + 9):
Fresh-fish vessels take a stand: No shrimp fishing in national waters without structural changes
United States
Apr 25, 00:10 (GMT + 9):
US Senate bipartisan measure to bolster response to IUU fishing
European Union
Apr 25, 00:00 (GMT + 9):
Other media | Faro de Vigo: Spain joins forces with France and Portugal to exclude longline fishing from the 87 closed fishing seasons
Norway
Apr 25, 00:00 (GMT + 9):
Other Media | SalmonBusiness: Producer fined after 35 million plastic pellets dumped into the sea
Finland
Apr 25, 00:00 (GMT + 9):
Other Media | fishfarmingexpert: All of Finnish co-op's own-label fish now has ASC tick
Spain
Apr 25, 00:00 (GMT + 9):
Other Media | Fish Farmer: Aquafuture Spain 2025 programme is launched
Australia
Apr 25, 00:00 (GMT + 9):
World-First for Sustainability: Australia's Southern Bluefin Tuna Fishery Achieves MSC Certification
Argentina
Apr 24, 23:00 (GMT + 9):
Patagonian Toothfish: Sleeping with the Enemy?
Australia
Apr 24, 09:00 (GMT + 9):
From Collapse to Comeback: How Orange Roughy Became a Sustainability Success Story



Lenguaje
FEATURED EVENTS
  
TOP STORIES
The 'Transmission' from Tuna to Cocaine: An Ecuadorian Fisherman Reveals His Turn to Drug Trafficking
Ecuador A tale from Manta exposes how dwindling fishing and the promise of lucrative cocaine routes push seafarers into a dangerous business, as reported by CNN Latinoamérica. "One more trip,&quo...
Beyond Tariffs: What the U.S. Can Learn from China's Industrial Playbook
China As the U.S. attempts to revitalize domestic manufacturing—often via tariffs, especially on China—RAND's analysis of China’s industrial rise provides critical insights that go well be...
Anatomy of a liferaft
Denmark The liferaft features a self-righting ability, meaning that no matter how it lands in the water, it will always deploy facing the right way up - ready for boarding. It has the capacity to evacuate 25 ...
Exotic Bites and Deep-Sea Delicacies: How Imports Are Reinventing Russia’s Seafood Scene
Russia Fed. From Patagonian Toothfish to Sicilian Shrimp, Imported Seafood Is Diversifying Russian Palates and Menus Margarita Kryuchkova from Fishnews magazine, was told by experts from Moreodor about interesti...
 

Umios Corporation | Maruha Nichiro Corporation
Nichirei Corporation - Headquarters
Pesquera El Golfo S.A.
Ventisqueros - Productos del Mar Ventisqueros S.A
Wärtsilä Corporation - Wartsila Group Headquarters
ITOCHU Corporation - Headquarters
BAADER - Nordischer Maschinenbau Rud. Baader GmbH+Co.KG (Head Office)
Inmarsat plc - Global Headquarters
Marks & Spencer
Tesco PLC (Supermarket) - Headquarters
Sea Harvest Corporation (PTY) Ltd. - Group Headquarters
I&J - Irvin & Johnson Holding Company (Pty) Ltd.
AquaChile S.A. - Group Headquarters
Pesquera San Jose S.A.
Nutreco N.V. - Head Office
CNFC China National Fisheries Corporation - Group Headquarters
W. van der Zwan & Zn. B.V.
SMMI - Sunderland Marine Mutual Insurance Co., Ltd. - Headquarters
Icicle Seafoods, Inc
Starkist Seafood Co. - Headquearters
Trident Seafoods Corp.
American Seafoods Group LLC - Head Office
Marel - Group Headquarters
SalMar ASA - Group Headquarters
Sajo Industries Co., Ltd
Hansung Enterprise Co.,Ltd.
BIM - Irish Sea Fisheries Board (An Bord Iascaigh Mhara)
CEFAS - Centre for Environment, Fisheries & Aquaculture Science
COPEINCA ASA - Corporacion Pesquera Inca S.A.C.
Chun Cheng Fishery Enterprise Pte Ltd.
VASEP - Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters & Producers
Gomes da Costa
Furuno Electric Co., Ltd. (Headquarters)
NISSUI - Nippon Suisan Kaisha, Ltd. - Group Headquarters
FAO - Food and Agriculture Organization - Fisheries and Aquaculture Department (Headquarter)
Hagoromo Foods Co., Ltd.
Koden Electronics Co., Ltd. (Headquarters)
A.P. Møller - Maersk A/S - Headquarters
BVQI - Bureau Veritas Quality International (Head Office)
UPS - United Parcel Service, Inc. - Headquarters
Brim ehf (formerly HB Grandi Ltd) - Headquarters
Hamburg Süd Group - (Headquearters)
Armadora Pereira S.A. - Grupo Pereira Headquarters
Costa Meeresspezialitäten GmbH & Co. KG
NOAA - National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (Headquarters)
Mowi ASA (formerly Marine Harvest ASA) - Headquarters
Marubeni Europe Plc -UK-
Findus Ltd
Icom Inc. (Headquarter)
WWF Centroamerica
Oceana Group Limited
The David and Lucile Packard Foundation
Ajinomoto Co., Inc. - Headquarters
Friosur S.A. - Headquarters
Cargill, Incorporated - Global Headquarters
Benihana Inc.
Leardini Pescados Ltda
CJ Corporation  - Group Headquarters
Greenpeace International - The Netherlands | Headquarters
David Suzuki Foundation
Fisheries and Oceans Canada -Communications Branch-
Mitsui & Co.,Ltd - Headquarters
NOREBO Group (former Ocean Trawlers Group)
Natori Co., Ltd.
Carrefour Supermarket - Headquarters
FedEx Corporation - Headquarters
Cooke Aquaculture Inc. - Group Headquarters
AKBM - Aker BioMarine ASA
Seafood Choices Alliance -Headquarter-
Austevoll Seafood ASA
Walmart | Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (Supermarket) - Headquarters
New Japan Radio Co.Ltd (JRC) -Head Office-
Gulfstream JSC
Marine Stewardship Council - MSC Worldwide Headquarters
Royal Dutch Shell plc (Headquarter)
Genki Sushi Co.,Ltd -Headquarter-
Iceland Pelagic ehf
AXA Assistance Argentina S.A.
Caterpillar Inc. - Headquarters
Tiger Brands Limited
SeaChoice
National Geographic Society
AmazonFresh, LLC - AmazonFresh

Copyright 1995 - 2025 Seafood Media Group Ltd.| All Rights Reserved.   DISCLAIMER