The radioactive contamination of fish

The French and European authorities don’t appear to have grasped all the difficulties raised by the control of fish and other seafood products likely to have been contaminated by atmospheric deposits and liquid radioactive matter in the coastal and deep sea regions of the North West Pacific. This is the most productive area in the world. It is exploited by fleets from Japan, China, South Korea, Taiwan and Russia. IUU fishing – illegal, non-declared and non-regulated – is very active here.

Global catches are approximately 20 million tonnes per year. Catches of Japanese anchovy and mackerel reach 1.5 million tonnes and 900 thousand tonnes per year respectively. Squid, cuttlefish and octopus catches are in the order of 1 million tonnes per year, and Japanese calamari and scallops are in the order of 1 million tonnes and 200 thousand tonnes per year respectively.

From a health point of view, it is important to establish reinforced vigilance in Europe in respect of fishing resources that originate from all fishing nations in the North West Pacific region or countries from this area involved in product transformation. As far as France is concerned, this vigilance should be particularly focused on the international markets at Rungis and Boulogne-sur-Mer, on fish and sushi importers and distributors. It must be maintained for several years given the capacity of producing countries to freeze seafood products.

View all our press releases on the Japanese earthquake and tsunami at:
- The waste from the Japanese earthquake and tsunami, Progress report - September 2011, with map of provisional storages of contaminated ash and sludge in the prefectures.
- Press Release n°16, Millions of Stowaway Passengers Circling Around the Pacific Ocean (Marine Litter, with map), May 31st 2011
- Press Release n°15, The After Shock, April 15th 2011
- Press Release n°14, A stream of Information, April 7th 2011, 16.15pm
- Press Release n°13, France is to Blame, March 31st 2011, 16.00pm
- Press Release n°12, The Disaster Domain Expands. March 30th 2011, 9.00am
- Press Release n°11, A disaster for dolphins and whales too. 29 March 2011. 12.00pm
- Press Release n°10, Stress test and crash test. 28 March 2011. 2.45pm
- Press Release n°9, The radioactive contamination of fish.25 March 2011. 11.30am
- Press Release n°8, Rich in nukes, poor in radiation detectors. 24 March 2011. 12.30pm
- Press release n°7, Franco-Japanese nuclear entente, March 22nd 2011
- Press release n°6, Radioactive cows, March 19 th 2011
- Press release n°5, Irreparable Cooling Systems, March 18th 2011
- Press release n°4, The death of the nuclear energy, March 16th 2011
- Press release n°3, Mox. March 14th 2011
- Press release n°2, Contamination of sea resources. March 13th 2011
- Press release n°1, Nuclear reactors and outside threats. March 12th 2011