LAOAG CITY, Ilocos Norte – Filipino environmentalists are protesting the release of Fukushima nuclear wastewater into the Pacific Ocean on Thursday, August 24.
Former House Deputy Speaker and environmentalist Lito Atienza Jr. called on all sectors of the Philippines to unite in protesting this, which he said could harm not just the Philippines but also all other countries around the Pacific Ocean.
Atienza urged the Philippine media to unite in protesting the Fukushima plan, citing an example like coming out publicly with "a joint editorial" by all local newspapers and media organizations.
"We should also join the protests against this plan to release Fukushima nuclear wastewater into the Pacific Ocean. This will affect negatively all of us in the Pacific Ocean region. Why should we not speak up?" Atienza said.
The Philippines is a naturally rich archipelago and has the world’s smallest commercial fish called “Sinarapan” (scientific name is Mistichthys luzonensis).
“We also have the world's biggest fish called locally as ‘butanding’ or the whale shark which is as big as 18.8 meters. The whale shark is also ‘the world's largest living non-mammalian vertebrate,’” said Atienza as he appealed to the public and all sectors to be vigilant and take action to protect the oceans, seas, and sources of clean water.
Local fishermen’s groups have also expressed strong opposition to the dumping of Fukushima radioactive nuclear water in the Pacific Ocean, claiming that it will contaminate the entire body of water, affecting resources for human consumption.
Ronnel Arambulo, spokesperson of the Pamalakaya National Federation of Small Fisherfolk with 80,000 members nationwide, said that among the regions in the Philippines that shall be adversely affected by the release of the Fukushima nuclear wastewater are Cagayan and Isabela provinces, Aurora province, Calabarzon, the Bicol region, and Samar provinces, all facing the Pacific Ocean.
“Like many countries in Southeast Asia, we express our strong opposition to Japan's plan to release more than 1.3 million tons of treated wastewater from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant into the Pacific Ocean. This is because of the great damage it can cause to fisheries and other marine and mineral resources that the widest and deepest oceans in the world have,” said Arambulo in a press statement.
“We stand in solidarity with the fishermen of different countries against the impending massive deluge that will be caused by the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant,” he added.
Pangisda Pilipinas National Chairperson Pablo Rosales said: “We appeal to all sectors of society to support our opposition and join protesting Japanese and other Asian fisherfolk regarding the plan to discharge of contaminated water to our oceans.”
Nagsama-Lamon Bay Fisherfolk Federation Spokesperson Bryan Valenzuela pleaded, “We demand to the Japanese government to stop the plan to dump Fukushima nuclear wastewaters into the Pacific Ocean to save the fishermen’s livelihoods, to ensure safety of foods for the public, and to uphold sustainability of the Pacific Ocean for the whole world.”
The group appealed to the Philippine government to take proactive action on this issue.
“We already have a big problem with the present state of the Pacific Ocean caused by various types of pollution, including plastics or microplastics and even nuclear weapons testings in the past. This untenable situation will only be worsened by the plan to dispose of the Fukushima radioactive wastewater into the ocean,” added Edlyn Rosales, chairperson of fishers’ group in Bataan.