Cafes in China are under threat of closure due to the release of water from the Fukushima-1 nuclear power plant
Japanese cafes in China have been threatened with closure due to Japan’s plans to dump water from the Fukushima-1 nuclear power plant (NPP) into the ocean. Business participants named a new threat from the country’s decision Reuters.
China is the largest importer of Japanese seafood. After natural disasters damaged Fukushima in 2011, the country’s authorities banned food imports from five Japanese prefectures. Later, the ban was extended to other areas – at the moment it applies to 10 out of 47 prefectures.
The latest import restrictions came in July 2023, when the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) approved Japan’s plans to dump treated water from nuclear power plants. China strongly opposed such a decision, arguing that the liquid could harm marine life and human health.
Against the backdrop of these events, imports practically ceased. Stricter checks from the Chinese side are causing serious delays at the borders, and concerns about the safety of seafood from Japan are depriving eateries of visitors. Japanese suppliers are considering the possibility of deliveries through a third country.
At the same time, cafe owners in China welcome increased scrutiny of overseas products and consider the government’s concerns about water from nuclear power plants justified. Some restaurants are adapting their menus to the new environment and are trying to replace ingredients with affordable alternatives.
Earlier, a perch caught at Fukushima-1 was found to have an increased content of radioactive cesium-137. The fish contained 18,000 becquerels of a substance per kilogram instead of the normal 100 becquerels.
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