TOKYO, April 5, Kyodo
Japan hastily set a legal limit Tuesday for the permitted level of radioactive iodine in seafood as safety concerns spread overseas in the wake of continuing leaks contaminated water into the Pacific Ocean from the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.
The limit of 2,000 bequerels per kilogram set by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare for radioactive iodine in marine products such as fish and shellfish is the same as that already adopted for vegetables, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano told a press conference.
Concern is growing about seawater contamination and the safety of seafood as Tokyo Electric Power Co., the operator of the Fukushima power plant, has begun dumping water containing a relatively low level of radioactive materials into the sea as it struggles to contain highly contaminated water at the complex.
Foreign Minister Takeaki Matsumoto said Japan has been making utmost efforts to minimize contamination in line with the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea, pledging to fully inform the international community of Tokyo's steps to tackle the ongoing nuclear crisis amid concern among neighboring countries about the spread of radiation.
In Seoul, a spokesman for the South Korean foreign and trade ministry said the country is concerned about the contamination of seawater and Japan should have notified it about the release of radioactive water in advance.
The imposition of the limit followed the detection by Japanese authorities 4,080 bequerels per kilogram of radioactive iodine in young sand lance caught Friday off Kitaibaraki in Ibaraki Prefecture, which prompted the health ministry to consider setting a limit for fish and clams.
Different young sand lance, also caught near Kitaibaraki, were found to be contaminated with 526 bequerels per kilogram of radioactive cesium, exceeding the legal limit of 500 bequerels already set by Japan.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano dismissed the need for an immediate ban on shipments of marine products from the affected areas, but he pledged to toughen inspections to ensure that contaminated products do not reach markets.
The government will make further efforts to provide sufficient information to other countries through diplomatic channels regarding its efforts to contain the leak of radioactive substances from the plant, the top government spokesman added.
Given that radioactive substances exceeding safety limits have only been found in a small number of samples so far, Edano said, ''We want to proceed by monitoring (contamination) closely and grasping the broader situation rather than immediately regulating'' shipments.
