By Pita Ligaiula in Honiara, Solomon Islands
Pacific civil society is demanding Forum Leaders to take a strong stance against Japan’s continued dumping of treated nuclear wastewater into the Pacific Ocean, warning that the practice poses serious scientific, legal, and human rights risks.
The Pacific Network on Globalisation (PANG) has circulated a briefing paper ahead of the 54th Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting in Honiara this week, calling for coordinated regional action.
The paper highlights findings from the Forum’s Independent Expert Panel, UN Special Rapporteurs, and civil society groups, all of whom have raised alarm over Japan’s decision to discharge treated wastewater from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant.
“In August 2022, the Forum’s Expert Panel concluded that the treated wastewater was not safe for ocean discharge and recommended halting the construction of the discharge infrastructure,” PANG stated.
“The panel warned of threats to ecosystems, migratory species, and Pacific livelihoods through bioaccumulation and transboundary pollution.”
Civil society groups, supported by Ocean Vision Legal and PANG, also lodged a formal complaint with the UN in 2023, stressing the risks of radionuclides not removed by Japan’s treatment system, including tritium, carbon-14, and strontium-90.
On 19 May 2025, six UN Special Rapporteurs issued a joint communication to Japan. They found deficiencies in TEPCO’s data and methodology, inadequate consultation, and breaches of key safety principles.
They also flagged human rights concerns, including threats to life, health, food security, and the rights of future generations.
The Rapporteurs recommended Japan immediately suspend the discharges, reassess less harmful alternatives, and ensure effective consultation with Pacific states and communities.
The PANG paper calls on Forum Leaders to:
*Reaffirm regional opposition, warning there can be “no Ocean of Peace with nuclear waste.”
*Reinstate the Forum’s Independent Expert Panel for ongoing monitoring.
*Frame Fukushima within human rights and ocean protection commitments, including the recent ICJ climate ruling.
*Establish “diplomatic red lines,” including reviewing Japan’s Dialogue Partner status if discharges continue.
“Unless these concerns are addressed, Japan’s actions will continue to undermine Pacific peoples’ rights and the integrity of our ocean,” the paper concludes.
The issue is likely to feature at the Forum Leaders Meeting in Honiara this week.
