Russia banned Japanese seafood products importation, taking after China's decision

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Russia's government announced on Monday(16th of October, 2023) the suspension of all Japanese seafood imports as a result of Tokyo's release of wastewater from the Fukushima nuclear plant.

Rosselkhoznadzor, the spokesperson of Russia's sector for regulating agriculture products, said it was "joining China's provisional restrictive measures on the import of fish and seafood products from Japan as of October 16, 2023" as a "precautionary measure".

It was said that the restrictions would stay in place "until the necessary exhaustive information to confirm the safety of seafood produce... is forthcoming".

In response to the Russia decision, Japan's Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries said that Russia's ban had 'no scientific basis, it is unjust and regrettable', and called for it to be revoked,  Kyodo news agency reported.

In 2011, three reactors at the Fukushima-Daiichi nuclear facility in northeastern Japan went into meltdown following a massive earthquake and tsunami that killed around 18,000 people.

Twelve years on, in August this year, Japan started to discharge the treated contaminated water from the stricken plant into the Pacific Ocean. China in response banned all Japanese seafood imports over the "selfish" and "irresponsible" release, accusing Japan of treating the sea like a "sewer".

However, Japan insists the operation is safe, a view backed by the International Atomic Energy Agency. A team from the United Nations nuclear watchdog -- including a Chinese scientist -- is due to take water and fish samples from near the site this week.

Beijing says Tokyo has not proved the authenticity and accuracy of the nuclear wastewater data, nor that the ocean discharge of the water is harmless to the marine environment and human health.

China was known to be Japan's biggest market for fish, accounting for more than US$500 million worth of exports last year before the ban.

繼中國之後，俄羅斯禁止進口日本海鮮產品

由於日本福島核電廠廢水排放，俄羅斯政府週一（2023年10月16日）宣布暫停所有日本海鮮進口。

俄羅斯農產品監管部門發言人羅塞爾霍茲納佐爾表示，作為“預防措施”，俄羅斯“自2023年10月16日起加入中國對日本魚類和海鮮產品進口的臨時限制措施”。

據稱，這些限制將繼續存在，「直到確認海鮮產品安全性的必要詳盡資訊...即將到來」。

據共同社報道，針對俄羅斯的決定，日本農林水產省表示，俄羅斯的禁令“沒有科學依據，不公正且令人遺憾”，並呼籲撤銷該禁令。

2011年，日本東北部福島第一核電廠的三座反應爐在大地震和海嘯中熔毀，造成約18,000人死亡。

12年後的今年8月，日本開始將受災工廠處理後的污水排入太平洋。 作為回應，中國以「自私」和「不負責任」的行為為由，禁止進口所有日本海鮮，並指責日本將海洋視為「下水道」。

然而，日本堅稱這次行動是安全的，這一觀點得到了國際原子能總署的支持。 聯合國核監督機構的一個小組——包括一名中國科學家——將於本週從該地點附近採集水和魚樣本。

北京表示，東京尚未證明核廢水數據的真實性和準確性，也未證明向海洋排放核廢水對海洋環境和人類健康無害。

眾所周知，中國是日本最大的魚類市場，去年禁令實施前的魚類出口額超過 5 億美元。