Editor's note: Yu Hong, a special commentator on current affairs for CGTN, is a senior research fellow of the East Asian Institute, National University of Singapore. The article reflects the author's opinions and not necessarily the views of CGTN.

It is now a year since the Japanese government began to discharge contaminated wastewater from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power station into the Pacific Ocean despite strong opposition and concerns at home and abroad.

Since the first discharge in August last year, there have been eight rounds of discharge. According to Japanese officials and Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO), which owns the plant, the wastewater is filtered before it is discharged into the sea, ensuring that it meets the regulatory standards. TEPCO claims the wastewater, after treated by the advanced liquid processing system, meets the safety standards set by the Japanese government, which have also been recognized by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). However, the company also admits that the "treated water" still contains radioactive materials. It is simply not possible to separate these radioactive substances with the current technology.

The environmental group Greenpeace has voiced concern, saying filtering the wastewater will have little effect, and large amounts of radioactive substances will still be discharged into the seawater.

Despite repeated assurances by the Japanese authorities and TEPCO that the Fukushima wastewater discharge plan is safe and poses little risk to human health, the discharge has met protests and objections from both inside Japan and abroad. Neighboring countries are closely monitoring the developments and have expressed strong dissatisfaction with Japan's insistence on discharging the wastewater into the sea.

After Japan began the discharge, China banned the import of Japanese seafood. On August 24, 2023, the General Administration of Customs of China announced it would completely suspend the import of aquatic products originating in Japan to prevent risks of radioactive contamination and ensure the safety of imported food.

Japan's seafood exports in 2022 were worth 387 billion yen (around $2.6 billion). Exports to the Chinese mainland and Hong Kong accounted for more than 40 percent of total sales. Therefore, the Chinese ban has hit Japan's seafood exports hard.

Though Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida stated at that time that Tokyo "would not approve a release that could have a negative impact on people in Japan and the world and the environment" and the government would continue to provide updates grounded in science and with a high level of transparency, so far, it appears that the Japanese authorities have been unable to effectively communicate with either the domestic fishermen's groups affected or its neighboring countries. Neither has it formulated solid safety measures to be implemented in the long run.

TEPCO also cannot guarantee that the plants treating the wastewater will remain effective in the long term. Recent mismanagement of the Fukushima plant has further heightened concerns and skepticism. On February 7, an employee cleaning the facility failed to notice that the water pipe was open, resulting in leakage of water containing radioactive substances. At that time, the contaminated water treatment plant was connected to the exhaust port, and water containing radioactive substances flowed out along with the fresh water being used for cleaning.

In October 2023, a water pipe at a wastewater facility broke, spraying two workers with radioactive liquid and they had to be hospitalized.

From the historical perspective, the continuous discharge of large quantities of nuclear-contaminated wastewater into the sea is unprecedented, so it is necessary to closely monitor the situation for a long period of time. The report issued by the IAEA Task Force on January 30 noted that “Japan's drainage activities are still in their early phases, more time and operational experience are required before progress can be made on this issue."

The Japanese government should respect the legitimate concerns of domestic fishermen's groups as well as neighboring countries, communicate with them sincerely and take practical measures to ease the concerns of the international community.

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