S. Korea expands ban on fish imports from Japan

SEOUL, Sept. 6 (UPI) -- South Korea is expanding its ban on Japanese fish to include those caught in a wide area near the stricken Fukushima nuclear plant, officials said Friday.

Officials said anxiety about fish contaminated with radiation from the plant has caused a drop in consumption in South Korea, Yonhap news agency reported. In its announcement, the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries accused the Japanese government of failing to provide adequate information about radiation contamination from the plant.

Some of Fukushima's reactors were heavily damaged by the March 2011 earthquake and the tsunami that followed it.

"The measure comes as our people's concerns are growing over the fact that hundreds of tons of radiation contaminated water are leaked daily from the site of Japan's nuclear accident in Fukushima," the ministry said. "The measure also comes as the government concluded that it is unclear how the incident in Japan will progress in the future and that the information the Japanese government has provided so far is not enough to predict future developments."

In Japan, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said his nation's fish exports meet international standards and are safe to eat, The Washington Post reported.

South Korea's move comes as the International Olympic Committee is scheduled to meet Saturday to decide whether the 2020 Games should be held in Istanbul, Madrid or Tokyo, only 150 miles from Fukushima.