Page 23 - IB December 2022

Nuclear

FISH AND FUKUSHIMA

By Netani Rika lar radionuclide. And not very much on others, that are also
present in the wastewater.’’
Time stands still in the Pacific - it’s what attracts tourists. Moss-Christian worked for Marshall Islands Nuclear Commis-
but in December 2022, the clock is ticking towards Japan’s sion. The organisation seeks justice for victims of nuclear ac-
planned release of radioactive cooling water into the Pacific tivity through a five-pillar programme based on compensation,
ocean, placing the region’s tuna stocks under immediate health, the environment, national capacity and education,
threat. “We have a lot of experience in the Marshall Islands with
The fallout from this unprecedented action will affect thou- lingering radioactive waste,’’ she said.
sands of jobs and millions of people who rely on the Western “And we don’t want to find ourselves in another situation,
and Central Pacific’s annual $USD8 billion industry. not just in the Marshall Islands, but in general in the region,
It is expected that Japan will begin to release its toxic where we agree to something without knowing what could
discharge from the Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant at Fukushima potentially happen in the future.
in March 2023. “But not only that, what are the contingency plans? What
Only then will the Pacific know how its lucrative industry are the compensation mechanisms? How do these, how does
based on a highly migratory species will be affected. the wastewater in the toxins behave across the ocean?,” Moss-
Japan spends an estimated $US1 billion in bilateral aid, Christian said.
soft-loans and other diplomatic efforts every year, making it “Yeah, Fukushima is a concern.
the sixth largest contributor to Pacific government coffers. Pacific governments at the WCPFC have their concerns but
At a time when the region’s focus has been on the postur- they are being very quiet. Japan, after all, is a major player
ing of China and the United States, along with their efforts to in the tuna fishing industry and in the area of international
gain increased influence and power, Japan has opted for the relations.
soft approach. Moss-Christian echoed the Pacific position which was made
Japanese aid has been in technical areas - including fisher- clear when regional leaders met in Suva earlier this year and
ies and medicine - and the construction of airports. raised strong concerns about what they described as “the
Until recently, France and the U.S. have been the focus of significance of the potential threat of nuclear contamination
nuclear non-proliferation advocacy groups concerned over to the health and security of the Blue Pacific, its people and
waste leaching from facilities at Muroroa and Fangataufa in prospects’.
French Polynesia and Kwajelian in the Republic of the Marshall “I just wish they would take a bit more time to think more
Islands. carefully about this,’’ Moss-Christian said.
Japan’s nuclear waste has been buried at home. But an “If there’s a way find a way to delay. I understand that
explosion in Fukushima in March 2011 has forced the need to there are some urgencies because of the logistics and the
find alternative measures of disposal. The option Tokyo has storage of this wastewater.
chosen is the Pacific. “But this is a massive release and a big, big potential disas-
Ironically, the waste is expected to flow first into the ter if it’s not handled properly. But Japan is a really important
Northern Pacific, the focus of Japan’s World War II expansion- partner in this region.’’
ism. Mostly coral atolls, these nations have dealt for 70 years And therein lies the rub. Pacific nations want to protect
with the result of U.S. testing. Birth defects and illness in the their billion-dollar tuna industry while recognising Japan’s im-
islands can still be traced back to post-war testing. portance in the area of assistance, security and development.
Hundreds of islanders remain displaced - forced to make For now, the WCPFC - known commonly as the Tuna Com-
way for the tests - and waste is stored underground in large, mission - hopes that consultation which is not new for Japan
concrete silos, thousands of kilometres from Washington or the region can be used to buy some time and delay the
where life-changing decisions were made for the islanders release of waste water,
seven decades ago. “I think that would really go a long way, not just for the
Rhea Moss-Christian is Executive Director of the Western partnership, but for also protecting our fisheries,” Moss-Chris-
and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission. From the Northern tian said.
Pacific, she knows first hand the impact of nuclear testing
and waste on vulnerable communities which live in a fragile publisher@islandsbusiness.com
ecosystem.
“There are a number of outstanding questions that have yet For more on the Fukushima issue, turn to page 27.
to be fully answered. They have focused a lot on one particu-

Islands Business, December 2022 23