Voluntary radiation checks

October 18, 2013

Radiation checks for Fukushima fish

http://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/english/news/20131018_12.html

Fishing cooperatives in Fukushima Prefecture will voluntarily check their hauls for radioactivity before shipment.

The national standard for radiation in marine products is 100 bequerels of cesium per kilogram.

The co-ops have set their own standard of 50 bequerels per kilogram and say that only fish below that level will be shipped to markets.

They say that they will dispose of all of a day's catch of a particular species if they detect radiation exceeding their limit.

The co-ops say that so far levels in the species they checked have been under 50 bequerels or undetectable.

But according to the government's Fisheries Agency results released this month, some bottom-dwelling fish such as flounder and cod off Fukushima Prefecture still have radiation levels higher than 100 bequerels per kilogram.