Concerns Over High Levels Of Radioactive Cesium 137 Found In Fish

Concerns Over High Levels Of Radioactive Cesium 137 Found In Fish




Seafood from the area near Fukushima has turned out to be a health hazard abroad, as well as within the country. In July, Russia expressed concern over fish caught off its coast near Japan. In May, a contaminated tuna was found near the California coastline. Japan stressed that they understood the numbers of contaminated seafood are "extremely high," but also pointed out that radiation was detected only in the kinds of fish found closest to the plant. In October 2012, the European Commission, the executive arm of the European Union, announced that it would relax regulations on imports of Japanese food starting on November 1. The restrictions were introduced after the quake and tsunami hit Japan on March 11, 2011, with many countries such as the US, Australia, Canada, Germany, France and the UK either halting food imports or starting additional inspections of Japanese imports.