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Taxpayers to shoulder bill for Fukushima wastewater concerns
Vice Minister of Oceans and Fisheries Song Sang-keun speaks during a press conference at the Government Complex in Sejong, Monday. Yonhap
By Park Jae-hyuk
By Park Jae-hyuk
Korean taxpayers will have to shoulder further costs as the government tries to ensure the safety of seafood, amid lingering concerns about Japan's planned discharge of radioactive wastewater from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, according to the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, Monday.
On the day that Tokyo Electric Power began facility testing operations for the discharge, the Korean ministry unveiled plans to enhance communication with fishermen and consumers, to dispel concerns about the safety of seafood.
Vice Minister Song Sang-keun reiterated that domestic seafood will be safe even after the release of the wastewater. But he also told reporters that the central and municipal governments will purchase additional equipment and hire additional personnel to conduct radioactivity inspections on seafood products nationwide.
“At this moment, our ministry, municipal governments and private institutions collectively have 29 pieces of equipment to check radioactivity at the stage of production,” the vice minister said. “We will buy nine additional pieces of such equipment this year and 11 more next year.”
According to the ministry, each piece of equipment costs 300 million won ($233,000).
The vice minister also said that the National Fishery Products Quality Management Service will hire additional inspectors as soon as possible.
“If necessary, the government may purchase additional equipment to check the radioactivity of ballast water,” said Lee Chang-yong, head of the ministry's maritime industry and technology division.
In addition, the vice minister did not rule out the possibility of the government compensating fishermen for damages caused by declines in domestic seafood consumption caused by concerns over the release of the radioactive wastewater.
Although he emphasized it is too early to talk about compensation, the vice minister said the government is bracing for a possible decrease in seafood consumption.