Japanese authorities commenced with the release of treated radioactive water from the damaged Fukushima nuclear plant into the Pacific Ocean on August 24. Despite reassurances from the International Atomic Energy Agency that the release was safe, concerns still prevail among many segments of society in East Asia and beyond. In response to these concerns, Thailand’s Department of Fisheries has raised the frequency of random inspections on seafood imported from Japan.
Department of Fisheries Deputy Director-General Taworn Thunjai said his agency has elevated its attention over random inspections of seafood imported from Japan. The focus is on products imported from locations deemed at greater risk of contamination, including Tokyo, Fukushima, Chiba, Gunma, Tochigi, Ibaraki, Miyagi, Nigata, Nakano, and Saitama. The heightened inspection effort is made possible by the department collaborating with the Office of Atoms for Peace and the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation (MHESI). Together, the agencies are taking radiation readings on imported seafood products to prevent items contaminated with unsafe levels of radioactive materials from being imported.
According to the director-general, no readings exceeding the allowable standard stipulated by the Ministry of Public Health have been found up to date. He added that 4,375 samples of seafood and fishery products inspected by the Japanese health ministry from last year until April 2023 did not detect contamination that exceeded the Thai health ministry’s requirements.
Taworn said any contamination by radioactive materials that exceeded the standard would immediately prompt a recall or import halt on the product in question. (NNT)
