EU, Norway, Iceland lift post-Fukushima import curbs on Japanese food

The European Union, Norway and Iceland on Thursday lifted import restrictions they imposed on food products from parts of Japan after the 2011 Fukushima nuclear plant disaster, which occurred in the country's northeast.

Those countries never been top imported of Japanese food product, they have plenty things they could get while those food still fresh domestically, from Mediterranean area, Middle East or North Africa.

Compared pricey Japanese food product across the globe, while adding more carbon footprint.

https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/article/3166259/mainland-china-was-top-importer-japanese-food-2021-surpassing-hong-kong

Now only remains Russia, China, Hong Kong, South Korea, Taiwan, Macau and other 55 economies.

Good luck!

The restrictions may have been lifted but whether people buy it remains to be seen.

Now only remains Russia, China, Hong Kong, South Korea, Taiwan, Macau

Some of these are tightening oversight, or have announced to. But as of right now, they have not extended their bans on Japanese food, if they had any (Hong Kong and Macau do not).

and other 55 economies

Now, see, that's a mistake right there: Never give a concrete number on something you made up. If you said "many other economies", fair, the only possible discussion would be about what "many" means. But since you give a concrete number, someone like me would ask:

Who or what exactly are those "55 economies"?

https://trendeconomy.com/data/h2/Japan/0301

Top export destinations of "Live fish." from Japan in 2022:

Korea with a share of 56% (78 million US$)

Other Asia, nes with a share of 8.2% (11.2 million US$)

China with a share of 7.7% (10.6 million US$)

USA with a share of 4.93% (6.79 million US$)

Indonesia with a share of 3.87% (5.33 million US$)

Vietnam with a share of 3.03% (4.16 million US$)

Thailand with a share of 2.44% (3.36 million US$)

United Kingdom with a share of 2.24% (3.08 million US$)

Netherlands with a share of 2.21% (3.04 million US$)

Germany with a share of 2.13% (2.93 million US$)

As long as Korea doesn't lift its ban, and not even Yoon can do it because that's an impeachment worthy crime in Korea, Japan's fish export won't recover.

Japan's fish export won't recover

You're cherry-picking live fish, which is roughly 7% of Japan's total fish export. All in all, Korea accounts for about 8.7% of Japan's fish exports.

Still, thanks for the daily anti-Japanese pep talk from Korea's opposition party cheerleading team.

Don't know why do the japan's economy have to pay for TEPCO's negligence.

All fisheries and food exportation companies should sue TEPCO for wrongfull conduct and interference of business.

The photo is a cheap journalistic trick, considering that the content of article.

I suppose TEPCO could also sue people who make libelous and defamatory comments, right?

I suppose TEPCO could also sue people who make libelous and defamatory comments, right?

Yes. Absolutely. Please do so.

It seems that the data is correct, but the percentage of live fish in Japanese seafood is missing.

Among many seafood items, live fish accounts for only 6.8% of the total.

South Korea, an exporter of Japanese seafood, accounts for only 5.8% of the total. About $0.18 billion out of $3 billion

If South Korea does not import it, it can be exported to other countries or consumed domestically. It has very little impact.

Japan's seafood import value is $16 billion and export value is $3 billion.

There is no particular problem even if it is used for domestic consumption without exporting.

By the way, the reason why import restrictions in China and Hong Kong become a problem is that most of the pearls, scallops, and sea cucumbers are exported there.

This is much more of a problem than live fish exported to South Korea.

If you think about export destinations, you have to choose seriously.

Chinese mainland was the biggest buyer of Japanese seafood in 2022 by value, accounting for 22.5% of Japanese seafood exports, followed by Hong Kong with 19.5%

It's nice that EU and Norway are lifting the restrictions. But negligible. The damage to the Japanese economy is at biblical proportions.

Who is gonna fix this mess?

The damage to the Japanese economy is at biblical proportions.

As usual you're dealing in hyperbole.

In 2022, the whole seafood export sector was around ¥87B. China and Hong Kong's share was around ¥36.5B. That is, by value, slightly less than 0.04% of Japan's total export volume of around ¥98T.

The economy will hardly notice.

But of course the fisheries will. That's why the government put in place a ¥80B fund to provide compensation for lost sales.

You could buy lots of water containers and land with ¥80B, and avoid the reputational damage.

You could buy lots of water containers and land with ¥80B

The solution to a problem is not to create more of the same problem.

Exactly!

You don't wanna worsen the problem destroying fishery and international relations.

You don't wanna worsen the problem destroying fishery and international relations.

And do nothing to solve the actual problem? Stick the fingers in our ears and ignore a forever increasing number of tanks, slowly eroding and using up the space needed for the actual clean-up work? That seems like a masterclass in willful ignorance.

Just keeping that contamination in the tanks for a couple decades will make most of the radiation decay.

Meanwhile you can focus on fixing the underground leaks of the nuclear plants, research for better filters, retrieve the nuclear roods, etc.

Just keeping that contamination in the tanks for a couple decades will make most of the radiation decay.

To bring it down to 10% you are talking about some 30 years. You know what will bring it down to 10% instantly? Mixing every liter with 9 liters of sea water.

Meanwhile you can focus on fixing the underground leaks of the nuclear plants, research for better filters, retrieve the nuclear roods, etc.

Again, ignoring the problem. Seems to be a theme for you.

Mixing every liter with 9 liters of sea water.

That would destroy japanese fishery and international relations. Plus, we have no idea of the damage it can cause to our oceans.

Invest in water tanks and research its the smart thing to do.

Again, ignoring the problem

You are ignoring the problem, not me. Dumping all that waste and forgetting about it is ignoring the problem.

That would destroy japanese fishery and international relations.

Like it or not, that is exactly what is going to happen, except it will not be 9 liters of water, it will be 1500.

Plus, we have no idea of the damage it can cause to our oceans.

That is a bold-faced lie straight out of the antiscientist's playbook, and you very well know it. We know exactly what damage it will cause to our oceans: zero, zilch, nada. And we know that because we have been doing these kinds of releases since before you or I were born. If there were any consequence, we would see it right now.

Invest in water tanks and research its the smart thing to do.

Are you bitter that they didn't ask you for your expertise as nuclear engineer and biologist?

Like it or not, that is exactly what is going to happen

No, it won't happen.

J-gov is gonna back out, as always do.

We know exactly what damage it will cause to our oceans: zero, zilch, nada.

Any scientist would explain you that we don't know how will the waste affect the marine biota or our food chain.

Where is your evidence?

 ask you for your expertise as nuclear engineer and biologist?

Do you have any academic record on science or biology?

No, it won't happen. J-gov is gonna back out, as always do.

We shall see, shan't we?

Any scientist would explain you that we don't know how will the waste affect the marine biota or our food chain.

Who is this "Any" scientist, and where has he been for the last 70 years? We actually know very well what will happen, tritium is very well understood, it has been researched since the atom bomb test of the 1950s. And again, *we have been doing these releases for 70 years, if it had consequences we would see them right now.* (I'm running out on ways to emphasize here.)

Where is your evidence?

In the sea at every coastline where they ever built a nuclear facility.

Where is your evidence?

Following up, I'd like to take a slice from your modus operandi of asking suggestive questions and ignoring the answers:

What do you, personally, think is the reason we can't see any consequences on marine life and our food from the tritium releases of the last half century, or for that matter, the atom bomb tests of the 1950s and 1960s? Is it all a big cover-up?