Russia and China Halt Seafood Imports, Japan Expresses Regret Over Lack of Scientific Evidence

Rhee "Will continue until Japan shows seafood safety"
Japan "Demands withdrawal of decision"

Russia announced that it will completely suspend imports of Japanese seafood starting from the 16th in relation to the discharge of contaminated water from the Fukushima nuclear power plant in Japan. With this, Russia has joined the ranks of countries, including China, that have blocked imports of Japanese seafood.

According to major foreign media, the Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance, Russia's censorship authority, stated on the day that this is a "precautionary measure" and that it "will continue until comprehensive information proving the safety of Japanese seafood is secured."

The above photo is not directly related to the article. [Image source=Yonhap News]

At the end of last month, the Russian side stated through the Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance Service that it was "considering joining China's sanctions on Japanese seafood, taking into account the potential risk of radioactive contamination."

Last year, the total amount of seafood Japan exported to Russia was 190 tons, accounting for only 0.03% of Japan's total exports (about 630,000 tons). The export value was 2.78 billion yen (about 2.5 billion KRW).

Japan's Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries expressed regret over Russia's suspension of imports of Japanese seafood, saying it was "scientifically unfounded and unfair," and demanded "the withdrawal of the decision," according to Kyodo News.

Earlier, on August 24, China completely suspended imports of Japanese seafood after Tokyo Electric Power Company began discharging contaminated water into the ocean.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.