Kuala Lumpur: The Department of Fisheries Malaysia has confirmed that there are currently no live marine fish being imported from Japan, following concerns over the potential impact of the planned release of treated radioactive water from the Fukushima nuclear power plant today, said Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Food Security Chan Foong Hin.
He said his ministry is actively monitoring the situation to ensure the safety of imported fishery products from Japan.
“For any non-live fishery products from Japan, the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security is currently working closely with the Ministry of Health and other relevant agencies such as the Malaysian Inspection and Quarantine Agency, the Malaysian Fisheries Development Agency to closely monitor food safety issue levels including checks on health certification and radiation inspection during post-import,” he said in a Facebook post yesterday.
He also urged the public to remain calm in the face of reports regarding the Fukushima nuclear wastewater release.
According to media reports, Japan is set to initiate the release of more than one million metric tonnes of treated radioactive water from the damaged Fukushima nuclear power plant.
The first phase of the release is scheduled to begin today which will consist of 7,800 cubic metres of water and will take place over approximately 17 days, according to Tokyo Electric Power Company (Tepco), which operates the Fukushima plant.
Tepco has indicated that the water will contain roughly 190 becquerels of tritium per litre, a level significantly below the World Health Organisation's recommended drinking limit of 10,000 becquerels per litre.
A becquerel refers to a unit of radioactivity.
Japan has defended its decision, asserting that the water release is safe.
The International Atomic Energy Agency and the United Nations nuclear watchdog approved the plan in July, stating that it adheres to international standards and that the potential impact on people and the environment is deemed “negligible”.
