Tuna caught off the Californian coast has been discovered to be contaminated due to the Fukushima disaster. The fish contain much higher traces of radioactivity than those caught in 2008. According to an American university study, increasingly higher levels of cesium-137 and cesium-134 have been found in the fishes’ flesh since March 2011. These are radioactive isotopes that are produced inside the reactor during the nuclear fission of uranium.

The phenomenon occurs because Pacific Ocean tuna spawn in Japanese waters before migrating to American shores, particularly the coasts of California and Mexico. When the tsunami hit Japan in March 2011, large quantities of radioactive material leaked from the Fukushima power plant, spilling into the sea and contaminating the species there. In order to assess the extent of ecological damage and determine which species have been affected, researchers are examining other aquatic animals native to the area.

In view of the above, can the Commission state: