South Korea bans seafood products from Japan’s Fukushima region [video included]

image source – http://DDees.com

PressTV
September 6, 2013

[VIDEO]

South Korea has started boycotting all seafood products from Japan’s Fukushima region, following reports of radiation contamination from the crippled nuclear plant.

South Korea’s Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries said Friday that Seoul has now banned all fishery products from Fukushima and seven other nearby prefectures.

South Korean Prime Minister Office Spokesman Shin Joong-don said, “The government has decided to take a special measure, which is banning imports of all seafood from eight Japanese prefectures around Fukushima, after having a ministerial-level meeting presided by Prime Minister Chung Hong-won on September 5, and a government-ruling party consultation on 6th.”

The ministry said Tokyo had failed to release sufficient information regarding the damaged nuclear plant and its continuous stream of contaminated water leaking into the Pacific.

Japanese officials say the level of radioactive water leaking from the site has reached its highest point ever.

Scientists also tested high rates of radioactive cesium in fish near the plant.

“The measures are due to the sharp increase in concern from the public about the flow of hundreds of tons of contaminated water into the ocean at the site of the Fukushima nuclear accident in Japan. Our government made the decision as it is unclear how the Japanese crisis will progress and it will be difficult to precisely predict the future risk with the Japanese government data only,” Shin Joong-don stated.

One of the only two active reactors at the Oi plant, in the Fukui Prefecture in western Japan, went offline on September 3, with the other one being halted later this month.

Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant was damaged in a mega-earthquake followed by a tsunami on March 11, 2011.

GMA/HSN