Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and three of his cabinet ministers tasted fish from the waters off the coast of Fukushima. A video shared on August 31 shows them trying out fish in an attempt to raise awareness about water safety after treated radioactive wastewater was released into the Pacific Ocean from the nation’s power plants.
Picture of Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida taking fish out of sewage. (Twitter/@Prime Minister’s Office of Japan)
“Let’s support the Sanriku and Joban regions through food! These regions, consisting of Iwate, Miyagi, Fukushima and Ibaraki prefectures, offer wonderful seafood,” says the official Twitter account of the Japanese Prime Minister’s Office. (Also Read: Fukushima Treated Water Release: Seawater Tests Reveal No Radioactivity)
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What is shown in the video?
The clip opens to show Fumio Kishida promoting fish and other seafood. The video shows him, together with the other members, enjoying seafood.
Finally, he also urges people to show support by buying “safe and delicious fish and other seafood” from the Sanriku and Joban regions.
Watch the video of Japanese Prime Minister Fumi Kishida here:
Why did Japan release water from a nuclear power plant into the Pacific Ocean?
According to The Washington Post, after the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster, Japan stored contaminated water in large metal tanks near the plant. However, now the country is running out of space to build new tanks to receive contaminated underground and rainwater. So, the country started treating the waste water and releasing it into the ocean.
When did Japan start releasing water from the nuclear power plant?
The process of releasing nuclear water began in late August 2023, after Japan received approval from the UN’s nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), to release more than one million tons of “treated radioactive water.” (Also read: Japan says ‘disturbing calls’ from China over Fukushima water release ‘extremely regrettable’)
Concerned about the potential effects, local fishing communities as well as other nations, including China and South Korea, which share international waters with Japan, have expressed opposition to the approval.
What did the IAEA safety audit conclude?
After a safety assessment, the IAEA determined that the release would have a negligible impact on the environment, consistent with water releases from nuclear facilities in other areas. According to the nuclear agency, the safety assessment addressed technical issues and clarified the science behind the intended release, ensuring there would be “negligible radiological impact on people and the environment.”
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Source: newstars.edu.vn