Safe food, a human right: the most important consumer right

Food Safety should always come before Trade issue.

In 2011 there was a catastrophic disaster in Fukushima, Japan, which has a major nuclear power plant. The radioactive nuclides leaked from the power plant have polluted vast areas of soil, air and seawater. The fallout still affects not only Japan but also neighboring countries including Korea with the leakage of contaminated water. An investigation by a Japanese Fisheries Agency into radioactivity levels in fish catch reveals that cesium has exceeded acceptable levels until now.

Many studies have suggested that fisheries and fishery products from the Japanese Sea may be contaminated with nuclear radiation from Fukushima. We therefore urged the Korean government to ban fish imported from affected areas in Japan, including Fukushima, and to adopt radioactive residue contamination standards. The Korean government responded by setting standards and banning imports of fishery produce from those areas. China, Taiwan and Russia and other countries have also banned fish imports from those areas. Regrettably, however, Japan has recently requested WTO to establish a panel to look into this matter. This is an attempt by Japan to present this health problem as a trade dispute issue.

We, as consumers, do not have the full evidence of the extent of the “life-threatening” nature of this radioactive contamination but we know that there is scientific proof that even a small amount of contamination is harmful to human health. As fishery products are a major part of our diet, we must use the precautionary approach and carefully consider the health impacts on people particularly children, vulnerable people and pregnant women before resuming imports.  Consumers’ health and safety must be the priority and be protected.

We therefore call on all citizens and other governments to support our campaign on the right to health. This is neither a political nor economic and legal issue but a human rights issue. Japan government also should consider human right to health as priority instead of dispute to the WTO. We seek your support to endorse our request that these fishery products continue to be banned until safety issues have been resolved.

Kindly send your endorsement to: foodsafetykorea@gmail.com

Food Safety Network, Korea

Contact: Kim , Jai-Ok