Hong Kong to impose import controls on Japanese seafood from Aug 24th

Hong Kong’s Chief Executive John Lee announced on Tuesday that he was strongly against Japan’s release into the ocean of treated radioactive water from the Fukushima nuclear plant.

The financial hub will immediately put in place import controls on seafood from Japan, Lee said.

Japan intends to begin releasing over 1 million tons of treated wastewater from the crippled Fukushima plant on August 24th, while saying the process is safe.

That plan has faced opposition from Hong Kong and China due to concerns regarding food safety and public health.

Hong Kong’s ban is expected to come into effect on August 24th, Hong Kong’s leader said.

According to Hong Kong’s Chief Executive Lee, the wastewater release is irresponsible and may bring “impossible risks to food safety and the irreparable pollution and destruction of the marine environment.”

In July, the Hong Kong administration had said the ban would affect imported aquatic products from regions such as Tokyo, Fukushima, Chiba, Tochigi, Ibaraki, Gunma, Miyagi, Niigata, Nagano and Saitama.

Yet, imports from 13 other regions will still be permitted.

Hong Kong is Japan’s second most important market following China for exports of agricultural products and fisheries.