Japanese National Government, Fukushima Prefectural Government, Industry Groups Plan for Lifting the Shipment Ban on Fukushima Beef

The shipment ban on meat cows in Fukushima was finally put in place on July 19, but on July 20 they already outlined the conditions for lifting the ban.

Fukushima Prefecture hopes to lift the shipment ban placed on the cows in the prefecture by the end of July, according to Fukushima Minyu Shinbun (7/21/2011), a local paper in Fukushima Prefecture.

From what Fukushima Minyu Shinbun describes, the conditions for lifting the ban have been already agreed upon between the parties involved (the national government, the Fukushima prefectural government, and the cattle industry groups).

So what is the plan? Fukushima Minyu is rather vague on that, so we'll go to Asahi Shinbun that has a bit more details. The plan, as it is right now, will serve to obfuscate, give sense of "security" where there's hardly any, and most of all, doesn't cost much because they won't be doing things much differently from what they are doing right now. All parties involved - the national government, the Fukushima prefectural government, the industry groups - are eager to resume shipment, so it will resume as soon as people forget about it. (And stuff those blogs with safety message about cesium!)

Asahi Shinbun (12:33AM JST 7/21/2011):

福島県産の牛の肉から基準を超える放射性セシウムの検出が相次いでいる問題で、原子力災害対策本部（本部長・菅直人首相）は１９日、県全域の肉用牛の出荷停止を県知事に指示した。出荷停止の解除方法の考え方も公表。福島県が提出した肉用牛の管理計画を対策本部が了承して、各畜産農家が計画に基づいた県の検査を経て出荷されることになった。

The Headquarters for the Nuclear Disaster Countermeasures (headed by Prime Minister Naoto Kan) ordered the governor of Fukushima Prefecture to halt shipment of meat cows in all areas of Fukushima. At the same time, the procedure by which the shipment ban would be lifted was also announced. First, Fukushima Prefecture would submit the management plan for the meat cows to the Headquarters, which would approve the submitted plan. Then the each cattle farm would undergo the testing as specified in the plan, and the cows would be shipped.

　厚生労働省は、災害対策本部と福島県が考えている管理計画の概要を明らかにした。計画的避難区域や緊急時避難準備区域など高濃度の放射性物質が検出された地域では、飼育されたすべての牛について、県が解体された時に肉を調べる全頭検査を実施する。

The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare disclosed the outline of the management plan as contemplated by the Headquarters and Fukushima Prefecture. In the planned evacuation zone and the emergency evacuation-ready zone where the high levels of radioactive materials have been detected, the prefectural government will conduct testing on all cows after they are processed into meat.

　それ以外の地域では、すべての畜産農家を対象に、県が汚染された稲わらを与えていないかなどを調べる全戸検査をし、その後も２カ月に１回定期的にチェックする。さらに解除後、最初に出荷する際に１頭以上を選び、県が肉の放射性物質検査をする。基準を十分に下回っていれば、その農家が飼育している牛の出荷が当面認められる。東京など県外に出荷することも可能になる。ただ一定期間がすぎたら、再び１頭以上を選んで肉を検査する。

In other areas, all cattle farmers will be surveyed to make sure if the contaminated rice hay is not used, among other things. The survey will be repeated every 2 months. After the shipment ban is lifted, at least one cow will be selected from one cattle farm, and the prefectural government will test the meat for radioactive materials [cesium]. If the amount of radioactive materials is less than the provisional safety limit, all the meat cows at that particular cattle farm will be allowed to be shipped for a time. The farm will be allowed to ship outside Fukushima Prefecture. After a certain period of time, at least one cow from the farm will be tested again.

　福島県内のと畜場は郡山市の１カ所のみ。しかし、厚労省は、年間に最大約９千頭の処理能力があり、牛の解体や牛肉の検査は１カ所でも可能とみる。

Fukushima Prefecture has only one meat processing facility in Koriyama City. However, the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare thinks it is possible for this facility to process and test the meat, as it has the capacity to process maximum 9,000 cows per year.

　福島県以外でも、汚染された稲わらを与えられた牛が見つかっている。ただ、厚労省は、出荷停止を検討するのは、牛を飼育している地域の稲わらが汚染されていることが前提とする。汚染された稲わらを遠方から購入して与えていても、その地域のわらが汚染されていなければ、対象とはならないとしている。

The meat cows have been found outside Fukushima Prefecture that were fed with contaminated rice hay. However, the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare would only consider the shipment ban if the rice hay in the region where the cows are raised is contaminated. Even if cattle farms in a particular region use contaminated rice hay purchased from distant locations [like Miyagi Prefecture], as long as the rice hay in that region is not contaminated the cows would not be considered for the shipment ban.

Well, needless to say, the "health, labor and welfare" that the Ministry worries about is not of the rest of the Japanese who are not in the cattle business.

Koriyama City, where the rice hay was found to contain 500,000 becquerels/kg of radioactive cesium, or Motomiya City, where the rice hay was found with 690,000 becquerels/kg of radioactive cesium, are OUTSIDE ANY evacuation zone.

On reading the article, I have little doubt that the radioactive beef will be sold just as it has been sold, without much added control at all. There will be less recourse to the consumers, because the beef will be considered "safe" because it will be sold in the marketplace after "vigorous test" approved by the national government and conducted by the Fukushima government.

Next to come? Maybe fine consumers for refusing to eat Fukushima produce, be it beef or vegetables.

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