HONG KONG: Hong Kong’s chief govt expressed robust opposition this week to Japan’s deliberate launch of handled water from the broken Fukushima nuclear plant into the ocean.
In response, town introduced fast import controls on Japanese seafood.
Beginning this week, Japan intends to launch over a million tons of water from the Fukushima plant positioned north of Tokyo. While Japanese authorities have repeatedly proven studies that the water is not radioactive, issues about meals security have triggered opposition domestically and internationally, together with from China.
Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee criticized the water launch as “irresponsible” and a risk to “food safety and the irreversible pollution and damage to the marine environment.” In response, Lee instructed the secretary for the surroundings and ecology, to promptly implement import controls to safeguard public well being and meals security.
Hong Kong’s authorities beforehand revealed in July that the ban on Japanese aquatic imports would lengthen to areas together with Tokyo, Fukushima, Chiba, Tochigi, Ibaraki, Gunma, Miyagi, Niigata, Nagano, and Saitama. The ban encompasses numerous types of aquatic merchandise, together with reside, frozen, refrigerated and dried items, in addition to sea salt and seaweed.
Hong Kong stands as Japan’s second-largest marketplace for agricultural and fisheries exports, following mainland China.
The impending ban has prompted quite a few Japanese eateries in Hong Kong to organize for potential losses. Some are contemplating introducing extra meat dishes to their menus, in anticipation of as much as a 40 p.c decline in enterprise.