The fisherfolk group Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (Pamalakaya) has expressed grave concern about Japan's announcement of discharging treated radioactive water from the Fukishima Daiichi nuclear plant into the Pacific Ocean. 

Recently, Japan has announced that it will begin releasing treated radioactive water from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant into the Pacific Ocean at the end of August despite strong opposition from neighboring countries and Japan’s fishing industry. 

Ronnel Arambulo, Pamalakaya vice chairperson, expressed their strong opposition to Japan’s plan to discharge 1.3 metric tons (MT) of treated radioactive water from its tsunami-wrecked Fukushima nuclear power plant. 

 “People from many East Asian nations, especially farmers and fishers, have already spoken and repeatedly expressed their concern about its environmental impacts. The Japanese government must heed the growing clamor of its neighboring countries to protect the world’s largest and deepest ocean from the toxic radioactive wastes,” he said in a statement. 

Arambulo pointed out that because the eastern portion of the Philippines is covered by the Pacific Ocean, its fishing resources will surely be impacted, particularly because the Northeast Monsoon is already on its way in the final quarter. 

“One of the most exposed and vulnerable parts of our sea is the resource-rich Philippine Rise (formerly Benham Rise). Located east of Luzon, the Philippine Rise is rich in various marine resources, as well as mineral and gas deposits,” he stated. 

“Aside from the Philippine Rise, the toxic treated wastewater could reach the Bicol region and other parts of the southern archipelago. Thus, we add our voices to the growing opposition of people from various nations against this imminent environmental catastrophe that may arise from the Fukushima nuclear power plant.” 

Meanwhile, the Pamalakaya has called on concerned government agencies such as the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) to support the opposition of Filipino fisherfolk, environmentalists, and other experts, against this move. 

The fisherfolk group said it is currently in coordination with environmental groups in Japan and Taiwan to hold simultaneous protests to stop the discharging of the wastewater. 

Japan has earlier insisted that the discharging of the treated radioactive water in the Pacific is “safe.”