Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka says if the nuclear wastewater poses a genuine threat, then his Government expects Japan to be ready to halt and reevaluate the situation.
Speaking from Vanuatu where he is attending the Melanesian Spearhead Group Meeting, Rabuka publicly addressed the concerns surrounding the decision by Japan to release nuclear-contaminated wastewater into the Pacific Ocean.
This comes as the Government accepts Japan’s controversial decision to release nuclear waste water from the Fukushima nuclear plant in the Pacific Ocean, triggering a lot of criticism from many Pacific Island nations and Civil Society Organisations.
The move is seen to be disregarding international protocols against nuclear pollution and violating the rights of Pacific communities.
Rabuka said that the Government values the condemnation expressed by various quarters over Japan’s action on the matter and is committed to preserving people’s rights to voice concerns, demonstrates, and advocate for a better environment.
However, the Prime Minister is urging people to channel their environmental concerns into addressing issues such as plastic waste dumping, sewage treatment, and chilled water discharge in the Suva Harbour area.
Rabuka said more recently, somebody showed him a satellite picture of the Suva Peninsula, and it showed a zone of red in the area of discharge from the Kinoya treatment plant out into the ocean, and it’s spreading.
He added that, in fact, there are some areas where it has gone beyond the reef and said a robust monitoring system must remain active to track the discharge and ensure oceanic health.
