The Radiation Monitoring Center (RMC) tried Thursday to allay fishermen’s fears about radioactive materials on aquatic life along Taiwan’s coast, saying that radiation will fall to much lower levels as it gets diluted in seawater.
Wholesalers in Kaohsiung’s fish market have cited a substantial decrease in sales of large fish like tuna. Demand for sashimi, or raw fish, has also fallen sharply.
At the same time, fishermen were worried that radiation from Japan’s earthquake-hit nuclear power plant will travel with the ocean currents and pollute marine life in Taiwan.
The Cabinet-level Atomic Energy Council (AEC) reassured the public that seafood is safe as ocean currents will disperse radiation particles.
Moreover, AEC says that radioactive substances can now hardly be detected on the surface of vegetables in northern Taiwan, and the small amount detected earlier could simply be washed away with water.
The RMC added that radiation detectors have been installed at the water outlets of all three nuclear power plants in Taiwan and radiation level in the seawater is regularly monitored.
Radiation levels in seafood will also be randomly tested every two weeks and warnings will be issued if needed.
