After the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster, South Korea imposed import restrictions on Japanese seafood. Japan took South Korea to the World Trade Organization, which found in favor of Korea's sovereignty over suspected food risks.
Japan responded by asking the World Trade Organization to CHANGE its dispute resolution process:
Seoul urged Tokyo to accept the World Trade Organization's ruling in favor of Korea's import restrictions on Japanese seafood. (2019, May 24). Arirang. https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20190524001100320?section=newsSEOUL, May 24 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's trade minister has urged Japan to accept the World Trade Organization's (WTO) decision that upheld Seoul's import restrictions on Japanese seafood following the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster, Seoul's trade ministry said Friday.
I strongly agree that every nation has the right to impose import restrictions when human and/or environmental risks are suspected.
Japan asks WTO to reform dispute settlement. (2019, May 22). NHK. Available https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20190523_03/Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono has asked the World Trade Organization to improve its dispute settlement system. This comes in the wake of a WTO ruling against Japan's claim opposing South Korea's import restrictions on Japanese fishery products.
The right to protect one's population and ecology are foundational to sovereignty, while precautionary risk management is OPTIMAL for protecting life (see UN definition here).
NUCLEAR is dirty and risky - see what a former nuclear regulator has to say about nuclear here.
Contaminated fish aren't restricted to Japan. We produce them here in the US and every other nuclear nation does as well. But we shouldn't have to eat them, particularly when their levels of contamination are demonstrably elevated.
Close Call in one of South Korea's, 22 nuclear reactors recently.
ReplyDeleteEdwinLyman
@NucSafetyUCS
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May 21
#SouthKorea news: The #nuclear regulator has launched a police investigation of a May 10 safety violation at the Hanbit 1 reactor. Power unexpectedly increased during startup, but operators violated rules and didn't shut the reactor down for 12 hours.
Nuclear reactor kept running for 12 hours after it should have been shut down
english.hani.co.kr
Good point about fish contamination around any nuclear reactors. Standards apply on Methyl Mercury but, not radionuclides that are millions of times more toxic.