Fukushima Radiation - Little Impact on Alaska Seafood

Current data shows that radiation will not reach Alaska by sea. Radioactive material from the nuclear events entering the Pacific Ocean is dispersed as it moves farther away from Japan. Alaskan fish do not travel near the Fukishima site and water tested 18 miles away from the site show low levels of radiation.

Fish and shellfish from Alaskan waters and beaches are not affected by the nuclear reactor damage in Japan and are safe to eat; they are, however, still subject to local toxins such as paralytic shellfish poisoning.

Radiation in Alaska's Seafood

Who is monitoring seafood to make sure it is safe from radiation? For more information about federal agencies monitoring seafood please click here.

How are food and products that are imported from Japan being monitored? The US Food and Drug Administration is currently monitoring food and products. Read more about at FDA's website.

Where can I find more information about possible contaminants that may be found in fish? For more information visit the Alaska State Veterinary's page on Fish Tissue Monitoring.

Where can I find more information about the potential health impacts of radiation in Alaska? You can find that information at Alaska's Division of Public Health.

How do I report or learn more about marine debris from the tsunami in Japan? Please visit NOAA's website on Japan Tsunami Debris.

How is the radiation from Japan affecting the waters in Alaska? The great quantity of water in the Pacific Ocean rapidly and effectively dilutes radioactive material. Current testing of waters approximately 18 miles off the coast of Japan has shown that the radiation levels have dissipated rapidly, even reaching drinking water standards. Below is a map that shows the Pacific Ocean currents.

Distance from Fukushima and North Pacific Currents

*Picture courtesy of the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute.

Is Alaska seafood safe from radiation? Fish caught in Alaska waters do not migrate close enough to Japan to be affected. Any radiation would have to travel thousands of miles before it would encounter fish which could be harvested as Alaska seafood. Fish species, such as tuna, that do travel from waters near Japan to U.S. harvesting grounds (but not Alaska) are being tested by FDA and have not shown any detectable levels of radionuclides so far. Only one fish species has shown elevated levels of radionuclides, the Sand Lance, which lives in the waters off of Japan and does not migrate. Below is a map that shows the distribution of Alaska salmon populations in the ocean.

Maturing Alaska Salmon Ocean Range

*Picture courtesy of the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute.

 

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