12,000 cases in the production stage, 09,000 cases in the distribution stage, 837 salt farms, etc.
Suitable for all imported foods, including 5,414 imported marine products from Japan
“Contrary to initial concerns about the release, there were no signs of decline in marine products.”
Vice Minister of Oceans and Fisheries Song Myeong-dal said on the 5th, “As a result of testing the radioactivity of more than 22,000 domestically produced and distributed marine products and sea salt conducted in 2023, there was not a single case of nonconformity.”
Vice Minister Song held a daily briefing on the discharge of contaminated water from Fukushima, Japan at the Seoul Government Complex on this day and said, “The government will conduct thorough radioactivity testing and provide results quickly and transparently to prevent the spread of concerns due to lack of information and fake news about the discharge of contaminated water.” “It has been disclosed,” he said.
According to the status of safety management of our marine products and marine radiation surveys in our waters last year announced by the government on this day, there has never been a case where dangerous levels have occurred.
In the case of fishery products in the production stage, inspections were conducted on 12,012 cases, exceeding the 8,000 cases set by 2023. In detail, 8,474 cases of caught marine products, 2,271 cases of farmed marine products, and 1,267 cases of deep-sea marine products were included in this inspection.
9,880 cases of seafood at the distribution stage were inspected, exceeding the 2023 target of 6,300 cases. Major items commonly consumed in supermarkets and markets were tested, such as mackerel (727 cases, 7.6%), squid (640 cases, 6.5%), and flounder (520 cases, 5.3%).
In addition, in order to resolve public concerns about sea salt, a complete inspection was conducted twice on all operational salt farms (837 locations) across the country, but no cases of nonconformity were found in any of the inspections. The government plans to significantly increase the number of inspections for marine products in the production stage this year to 18,000 compared to the previous year, and designate priority management items on a monthly basis for intensive inspection.
Vice Minister Song said, “The government conducted a total of 5,414 radioactivity tests on imported fishery products from Japan, and not a single fishery product was detected with even trace amounts of radioactivity.”
The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries has banned the import of all seafood from eight prefectures, including Fukushima, and is conducting radioactivity tests on all seafood produced in other regions upon import. In addition, in addition to the 5,414 cases above, a total of 28,316 imported foods from Japan were tested for radioactivity last year, and all were found to be suitable.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries also announced the results of the ‘Citizen Application Radioactivity Testing’ operation, in which citizens directly apply for radioactivity testing of items they want. Of the 650 applications received last year, the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries selected and inspected up to 10 cases each week, focusing on the top application items. As a result, selection and inspection were completed for a total of 317 cases, and the results were all satisfactory.
Vice Minister Song said, “In order to strengthen the radiation surveillance network in our waters, the government expanded the number of regular marine radiation survey points from 79 points in 2022 to 92 points in January last year, and significantly expanded the number to 200 points from July, as the time of discharge approached. “I did it,” he explained.
He also said, “Over the past year, 3,859 marine radioactivity samples have been collected and analyzed, and to date, the radioactivity concentration in our seas has been maintained at a ‘safe’ level, much lower than the WHO drinking water standards.” He added, “Starting this year, the marine radioactivity survey points will be increased to 243. “We plan to expand the scope to establish a tighter surveillance network,” he said.
In addition, in order to preemptively monitor the inflow of radioactivity, a pilot survey was conducted at eight points in the high seas near Japan starting last April, and marine radioactivity was monitored every month between June and October. As a result of analyzing a total of 297 samples, the radioactivity concentration in the high seas near Japan was found to be explained that the value was confirmed to be much lower than the WHO drinking water standards. Starting in April of this year, the government plans to resume the investigation of eight points in the high seas near Japan and also begin the investigation of 10 points in the high seas near the Pacific Island States.
The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries announced that it conducted a total of 311 radioactivity tests on live fish trucks entering Korea from Japan and found no unusual findings, and that it plans to significantly expand on-site analysis this year to conduct a total of 760 tests.
The results of the ballast water radioactivity survey for 142 ships that entered port in Chiba Prefecture, Japan, etc. last year were all satisfactory, and a total of 351 radioactivity surveys on 20 representative beaches in Korea, including Haeundae and Gwangalli, confirmed that the radioactivity concentration was all at a safe level.
Vice Minister Song said, “Thanks to the public’s wise judgment based on scientific and objective information, contrary to the initial concerns over the release of fish, there has been no sign of a decline in seafood consumption to date.” He added, “We will continue to place the safety and health of the people as our top priority to ensure the safety of our seas and marine products.” “We will work to ensure that the public can feel more reassured by managing it more thoroughly,” he said.
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.