In response to Japan’s plan to discharge water from the Fukushima nuclear power station, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government announced today that it will prohibit the import of aquatic products originating from 10 metropolises or prefectures in the country from August 24.

Secretary for Environment & Ecology Tse Chin-wan made the announcement at a media session, saying that the move is based on the precautionary priniciple.

“We have a plan to prohibit the food from (a number of) Japanese prefectures which we believe has some risk,” he said. “Then, we (will) also have to check all the food imported from Japan to ensure that their radioactive levels meet all the (food safety) standards.

“Therefore, I believe, with all those measures in place, we can assure people of Hong Kong (that) all food sold in the Hong Kong market is safe, including those (that) are allowed (to be imported) from Japan.”

The Hong Kong SAR Government plans to prohibit the import of all aquatic products originating from Tokyo, Fukushima, Chiba, Tochigi, Ibaraki, Gunma, Miyagi, Niigata, Nagano and Saitama.

The prohibited products include all live, frozen, chilled, dried, or otherwise preserved aquatic products, as well as sea salt and unprocessed or processed seaweed.

Meanwhile, the Centre for Food Safety under the Food & Environmental Hygiene Department will enhance its testing of imported Japanese food. 

Questioned by reporters as to how long the prohibition will last, Mr Tse said the Hong Kong SAR Government does not have a timetable at the moment.

He pointed out that it depends on the information provided by the Japanese government after the discharge, including data on levels of radioactivity and information about how it is monitored and managed.  

Meanwhile, the Hong Kong SAR Government will monitor radioactivity in local waters and fishery products. Data will be published each working day, Mr Tse said.