Japan seeking permission to ship fish from waters around Fukushima NPP - watchdog
MOSCOW. Jan 30 (Interfax) - Japan is asking permission to ship fish products to Russia from waters around prefectures that were hit by radiation from the accident at the Fukushima-1 nuclear power plant in March 2011, Russian animal and plant health watchdog Rosselkhoznadzor said following telephone negotiations with representatives of Japan's Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Ministry and Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry.
The Japanese officials said the level of strontium in the environment is within acceptable levels.
Rosselkhoznadzor has asked the Eurasian Economic Commission (EEC) to consider this possibility. This issue could be accelerated if additional materials are received from Japan and contacts are made with an expert in radiation safety, the watchdog said.
Rosselkhoznadzor banned imports of fish from more than 150 Japanese enterprises in April 2011 due to the Fukushima disaster.
The Japanese officials also said that they have given Rosselkhoznadzor the right to include Russian enterprises in the register of exporters of finished pork and beef products to Japan under its official guarantees, the watchdog said. Japanese experts inspected two Russian companies - Miratorg Agribusiness Holding's Kaliningrad subsidiary Miratorg-West and Ratimir in Primorye - and cleared them to export to the Japanese market.