Reflections on governing Japan’s discharge of Fukushima nuclear-contaminated water: from the perspective of building a Maritime Community with a shared future

https://doi.org/10.1007/s44312-024-00034-1

Announcing a new publication for Marine Development journal. In August 2023, Japan officially began to discharge the Fukushima nuclear-contaminated water. By August 8, 2024, Japan had conducted eight discharges, totaling some 62,800 tons of nuclear-contaminated water, and despite the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) forming a task force and reporting that Japan’s discharge plan meets international standards, public unease persisted, especially with frequent news of adverse incidents which are related to the discharge. On February 7, 2024, due to a valve left open by site workers, 5.5 tons of contaminated water from the storage tanks at the plant leaked, amounting to approximately 22 billion becquerels of radioactive materials such as cesium and strontium. The concerns over the safety of discharging nuclear-contaminated water are arguably well warranted.

The precautionary principle in international environmental law is in use to prevent environmental risks with scientific uncertainty. There is currently no scientific consensus on whether it is safe to introduce nuclear-contaminated elements into the ocean, and there is great uncertainty. Therefore, Japan’s discharge explicitly violates the precautionary principle, which may bring irreversible harm to the global marine environment.

The concept of a Maritime Community with a Shared Future (MCSF) was first proposed by Chinese Chairman Xi Jinping in 2019. He advocated equal consultation among nations, improving crisis communication mechanisms, promoting close maritime interconnectivity, and practical cooperation in various oceanic fields to jointly maintain maritime peace and tranquility. The MCSF encompasses a wide range of issues, including maritime peace (through peaceful dispute resolution), security (freedom of navigation, maritime passage, counter-terrorism, and counter-maritime crime), environment (protection, preservation, and conservation), and prosperity (maritime economy and marine science research). The MCSF encourages coastal states to work together to address common maritime issues, seek practical solutions, and provide institutional support and a cooperation platform by developing and implementing commonly accepted international rules.

To improve the current governance and management of Japan’s discharge of Fukushima nuclear-contaminated water, this study proposed specific measures based on the MCSF:

• Joint negotiation to enhance participation
• Joint construction to create new frameworks and rules
• Joint sharing of information and data to gain trust and capacity

MCSF could address the discharge of Fukushima nuclear-contaminated water, incorporating diverse interests while also considering both current and future development. This study argues that it is imperative to jointly engage in negotiation within the perspective of MCSF, to jointly build a governance mechanism and advance the update of rules, and to share data and information sustainably to manage the discharge of the Fukushima nuclear-contaminated water.

Article reference: Zhang, X., Xu, Q. Reflections on governing Japan’s discharge of Fukushima nuclear-contaminated water: from the perspective of building a Maritime Community with a shared future. Mar Dev 2, 20 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s44312-024-00034-1  

Keywords: Marine environmental protection, A Maritime Community with a Shared Future, Fukushima nuclear accident, Nuclear-contaminated water, Ocean governance

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Marine Development aims to publish research papers in all relevant disciplines related to the ocean and the sea. Its scope spans diverse domains, including but not limited to marine resource management, marine environmental conservation, marine biodiversity, fisheries management, marine energy, marine policy, and international maritime law. The journal particularly values research that explores the complex links between marine issues and broader global challenges, such as climate change, sustainable economic development, and international cooperation. As a platform for interdisciplinary knowledge exchange, the journal will enable scholars to communicate their research and promote interdisciplinary research that advances our understanding of marine issues. It welcomes original research with a multidisciplinary focus and also encourages review articles that highlight the latest research trends and those with significant global impacts.

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