Statement of the National Fisheries Rally in Korea_June 12, 2023

Stop Fukushima Wastewater Dumping!

All 100,000 fishermen die!

The timing of the dumping of radioactive contaminated water at sea, which the Japanese government has announced, is just around the corner. The fear of fishermen in the face of the dumping of contaminated water from Fukushima is inevitable. Our fishermen, who have only looked at the sea all their lives and have made their lives through the sea, feel despair over fear that the sea, which is their livelihood, will be polluted as well as that the seafood they fished will not be sold.

In a public survey on the discharge of contaminated water conducted by the Korea Federation of Environmental Movement in May, 85.4% of the people responded that they opposed the discharge of contaminated water from Fukushima into the sea. In addition, if the contaminated water was dumped, 72% of the people said they would reduce consumption of seafood after the Fukushima contaminated water was released. It is the result of a public opinion poll that showed that the concerns of Korean fishermen will become a reality if the contaminated water from Fukushima is dumped into the sea.

There is something called the ALARA principle in the radiation safety principle. The ALARA principle states that exposure to radioactive materials should be reduced to a level that is reasonably achievable. In other words, it is not that the contaminated water is safe enough to be dumped into the sea, but that if there is another way to avoid dumping the contaminated water into the sea, it should not be dumped into the sea. Instead of ocean dumping, Fukushima-contaminated water can be stored in long-term storage on land or hardened concrete.

The only problem that arises if Fukushima-contaminated water is not dumped at sea and stored for a long time on land is that the Japanese government suffers economic losses. However, if the contaminated water from Fukushima is dumped into the sea, all life in the Pacific Ocean and all fishermen living in the sea will suffer.

Who should be held responsible for the damage caused by contaminated water in Fukushima? Is it the Japanese government? Or is it all life in the Pacific and the fishermen who make their living in the sea?

Our government should abandon the attitude of accepting the Japanese government's dumping of contaminated water from Fukushima as it is now, and take all the actions to stop the Japanese government Fukushima wastewater dumping!

We oppose the plan to dump radioactive contaminated water that ruins the earth and its ecosystem. We will fight in solidarity until the end to prevent the dumping of radioactive contaminated water.

• We strongly oppose Japan's dumping of radioactive water at sea!
• Stop the Japanese government's plan to dump radioactive polluted water that is ruining the earth and the sea!
• The Japanese government should come up with solutions such as long-term storage on land!
• Our government should immediately file a complaint against the Japanese government to the International Court of Law of the Sea to prevent the dumping of contaminated water at sea!

Peoples' Action to Stop Dumping of Fukushima Daiichi Radioactive Water

National Fisheries Federation