\n
People protest against Japan\u2019s decision to dump radioactive wastewater from the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant into the Pacific Ocean outside Japanese embassy in Seoul, South Korea, April 14, 2021. (Photo by Xu Ruxi\/Xinhua)<\/p>\n
By\u00a0Joseph Veramu<\/p>\n
In the Pacific, Japan prides itself as a pacifist state. Their diplomats are known for being polite, respectfully bowing to dignitaries and emphasizing that they have the interest of the Pacific in their peaceful hearts. Now Pacific islanders are distressed and hoping Japan does not have the heart of aggression.<\/p>\n
The Japanese\u00a0government has been firm in its stance that the planned discharge of treated radioactive wastewater\u00a0from Fukushima into the Pacific Ocean in 2023 is safe despite strong opposition from Pacific leaders.<\/p>\n
Pacific islanders hope that Japan will look at the harmful effects of radioactive dumping that has\u00a0a\u00a0very high possibility of negatively affecting current and future generations of Pacific islanders.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Even local Japanese fishermen have strongly objected to the discharge of radioactive water. Toshiko Tanaka, a\u00a0survivor\u00a0of the atomic bombing\u00a0in\u00a0Hiroshima,\u00a0pleaded,\u00a0\u201cWe share one water on the earth and what leaks from Japan will leak everywhere. I think it\u2019s very bad and it\u2019s got to stop. All the wastewater has to be kept on land and not be released into the ocean.\u201d<\/p>\n
It is noted that the Pacific Ocean is the largest mass of water on Earth, having the greatest biomass of organisms of ecological, economic, and cultural ue. It has 70 percent of the world\u2019s fisheries. The health of the ocean ecosystems is failing due to climate change, over-exploitation of resources, and pollution. The discharge of radioactive wastewater by TEPCO will worsen the situation.<\/p>\n
The Pacific Islands Forum\u00a0(PIF), comprising 18\u00a0members, set up a panel of global experts on nuclear issues. Their research was to support Pacific nations in their deliberations on the matter.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re unanimous in saying we don\u2019t see enough information to support dumping the radioactively\u00a0contaminated water into the ocean,\u201d\u00a0The\u00a0panel noted.\u00a0\u201cOur first recommendation is to take that option (of dumping nuclear wastewater) off the table.\u201d<\/p>\n
There are huge concerns that the movement of ocean currents will enable pelagic fishes to accumulate radionuclides in their systems and widely distribute\u00a0them\u00a0over the vast Pacific ocean.<\/p>\n
What should be understood is that fish consuming radioactive materials from Japan travel very widely. Unlike people who show their passports and visa before entering a country, fish do not stop to get visas before entering the waters of Pacific nations.\u00a0<\/p>\n
research that TEPCO is using to argue that the radioactive wastewater is safe to dump in the Pacific is found later to be wrong, then there is the real possibility of\u00a0the\u00a0genocide of Pacific peoples who rely on the ocean for their food needs. Consuming contaminated marine foods can affect the next generation of Pacific islanders.<\/p>\n
PIF\u00a0Secretary General Henry Puna emphasized,\u00a0\u201cOur ultimate goal is to safeguard the Blue Pacific\u2014our ocean, our environment and our peoples\u2014from any further nuclear contamination. This is the legacy we must leave for our children.\u201d<\/p>\n
Henry Puna was invited to Japan to discuss the release of the treated wastewater from the Fukushima nuclear power plant into the Pacific Ocean. There is deep concern that Japan, which\u00a0facilitates\u00a0the\u00a0Pacific Islands\u00a0Leaders Meeting (PALM) every three years,\u00a0may use\u00a0checkbook diplomacy to entice Pacific leaders to agree to the dumping by promising them more money.<\/p>\n
The\u00a0president of the Federated States of Micronesia, for example, is quoted later as saying,\u00a0\u201cour country is no longer fearful or concerned about this issue (wastewater dumping)\u201d.<\/p>\n
The PIF panel of experts,\u00a0who have been trying to independently verify the safety of the operation,\u00a0say they have not been sent data that proves it is safe. Alarm bells were raised over discrepancies in the data provided. The\u00a0panel noted\u00a0\u201cWe immediately noticed problems with the data that the panel has considered to be serious red flags. The panel has found that some of TEPCO\u2019s sample extraction has been inadequate, incomplete and at times inconsistent and even biased.\u201d<\/p>\n
Some good news for the Pacific is that Japan has agreed to delay the discharge of treated nuclear wastewater into the Pacific Ocean until PIF science experts verify\u00a0if\u00a0it is safe to do so.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The incoming\u00a0PIF Chair\u00a0and\u00a0the\u00a0Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown traveled to Japan as part of the PIF delegation in an effort to convey their deep concerns. He requested a deferral of Japan\u2019s plans to dump wastewater into the ocean.<\/p>\n
It has been suggested that Japan needs to reform its foreign policy in the Pacific. At the 9th\u00a0PALM\u00a0held\u00a0on\u00a0July\u00a02,\u00a02021,\u00a0leaders\u00a0of the PIF\u00a0emphasized the importance of \u201censuring international consultation, international law, and independent and verifiable scientific assessments with regards to Japan\u2019s announcement (of dumping radioactive wastewater).\u201d<\/p>\n
Japan cannot unilaterally dump radioactive materials.\u00a0As\u00a0it is a very powerful Asian\u00a0country, it has a moral responsibility to respect and protect small Pacific\u00a0island nations that are already suffering from the negative effects of climate change. These nations rely on the ocean for almost all their food sources and national incomes to support their economic development.<\/p>\n
It should also be obvious that the dumping will also affect the entire world\u00a0which\u00a0sources\u00a0marine foods from the Pacific\u00a0Ocean.<\/p>\n
We hope that common sense will prevail in the end and that the right action will be taken that will ensure harmony in the environment\u00a0of the\u00a0Pacific.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Joseph Veramu is the dean of the South Pacific Island Countries Institute of Asian Studies.<\/em><\/p>\nContent created and supplied by: People\u2019sDaily (via Opera
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People protest against Japan\u2019s decision to dump radioactive wastewater from the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant into the Pacific Ocean outside Japanese embassy in Seoul, South Korea, April 14, 2021. (Photo by Xu Ruxi\/Xinhua) By\u00a0Joseph Veramu In the Pacific, Japan prides itself as a pacifist state. Their diplomats are known for being polite, respectfully […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":24793,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-24792","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-nigeria-news"],"yoast_head":"\n
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