Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, "All-Out Effort to Strengthen Seafood Safety Management" Ahead of Japan's Contaminated Water Discharge

Amid rising public anxiety over the upcoming discharge of contaminated water from the Fukushima nuclear power plant in Japan, the government is strengthening seafood safety management through the expanded and reorganized 'National Reassurance Situation Management Team,' which builds on existing organizations.

On the 12th, the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries announced the 'Seafood Safety Management Communication Plan' containing these details. The government has expanded and reorganized the existing dedicated seafood safety teams within the government into seven teams based on specific tasks. Led by the Director of the Fisheries Policy Office at the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, the teams will collaborate with expert groups, the fisheries industry, and local governments in areas such as seafood safety management, safe consumption, fisheries industry support, and public communication.

Briefings on seafood safety will also be held primarily for the fisheries industry. From the 13th, over approximately three weeks, the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries will tour nationwide locations including Busan, Gyeongnam, Seoul, and Incheon to explain seafood safety management measures at regional seafood safety field briefings.

Channels for public participation in seafood safety management policies will continue to operate. The Ministry runs the ‘Seafood Safety National Communication Group’ and the ‘Public Request Radiation Inspection’ service, and plans to continuously operate a ‘mailing service’ that allows people to receive radiation inspection information via email.

Additionally, radiation monitoring of marine areas is being strengthened, and radiation inspections of seafood at the production stage are being conducted at more than twice the previous year’s target (4,000 cases), now at 8,000 cases. To this end, seafood inspection equipment and personnel will also be supplemented. The government inspects marine radioactive substances at 92 marine sites nationwide, and for seafood inspections at the producer stage, the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, local governments, and private entities collectively have a total of 29 inspection devices. The Ministry plans to secure an additional nine devices this year.

Song Sang-geun, Vice Minister of Oceans and Fisheries, said, "Starting with the fisheries industry and other field sites, we will actively communicate so that all citizens can feel reassured about seafood safety," adding, "We will continue to prioritize the health and safety of the public and supply only safe seafood through thorough seafood safety management."

Fishing boats at Nakanosaku Port, Iwaki City, Fukushima Prefecture, Japan
(Fukushima=Yonhap News) Correspondent Park Sang-hyun = On the 24th, boats were floating at Nakanosaku Port in Iwaki City, Fukushima Prefecture, Japan. This port is located about 50 km away from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, where the Japanese government plans to start releasing contaminated water this summer. 2023.5.24
psh59@yna.co.kr
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