Strongly oppose! Hong Kong Chief Executive Lee Ka chao: Japan's decision to discharge nuclear wastewater "stubbornly and unprecedentedly" for import | Fukushima | Oppose
According to Hong Kong media reports, after the Japanese government announced the launch of the Fukushima nuclear sewage discharge plan on August 24th, the Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Li Jiachao, strongly opposed the relevant measures and instructed relevant departments to initiate import control measures to protect the health of Hong Kong citizens.
Li Jiachao posted on social media that the Japanese government's unprecedented decision to discharge a large amount of nuclear wastewater into the sea, spanning 30 years, disregards the risks to food safety that cannot be ruled out and the irreparable environmental damage, and is irresponsible in imposing its own problems on others. He strongly opposes this.
The Secretary for Environment and Ecology of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government, Xie Zhanhuan, immediately announced that starting from this Thursday, the import of aquatic products from ten places including Tokyo and Fukushima into Hong Kong will be prohibited. The ban law will be gazetted on August 23rd, and the duration of the ban will depend on the actual situation.
The SAR government announced earlier that based on the principle of precautionary measures, once the Japanese side initiates the discharge of nuclear wastewater, the SAR will immediately ban the import of aquatic products from Tokyo, Fukushima, Chiba, Koki, Ibaraki, Gunma, Miyagi, Niigata, Nagano, and Saitama.
According to statistics from the Statistics Department of the Special Administrative Region Government, last year Japan imported 2% of Hong Kong's overall food supply, while Japan imported less than 5% of the local food market for various types of meat, vegetables, fruits, and dairy products. Aquatic products accounted for 6.75% of local consumption.
Legislative Council members are calling on the SAR government to consider expanding the scope of regions that prohibit Japanese food imports based on the development of the situation regarding Japan's pollution discharge behavior.
Election committee member and Chairman of the Legislative Council Food Safety Committee, Chen Kaixin, stated that Japan has chosen the lowest cost and least responsible approach. She demanded that the government strengthen regulations, and that food labels not only indicate that the food comes from Japan, but also clearly indicate the region from which it comes.
Chen Kaixin believes that the government's cessation of food imports from 10 prefectures in Japan is only the first step, and suggests that the government expand import controls based on Japan's attitude. She also hopes that citizens will change their dietary and travel habits.