Fijian groups plan protest as Japan set to release Fukushima water

WELLINGTON - Environmental groups will rally in Fiji on Friday to protest Japan's decision to release treated cooling water from the destroyed Fukushima nuclear plant into the sea, reported German news agency (dpa).

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida confirmed on Tuesday the country would start discharging the water into the Pacific from Thursday.

Japan's nuclear regulatory authority had recently given the greenlight for the release. According to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), dumping the water does not pose any danger to humans, or the environment.

On Wednesday, an alliance of environmental justice and human rights advocates called for protests "to plead for international intervention" to stop the discharge.

"We call on everyone concerned about the future of the Pacific, our generations to come, our island ecosystems and sources of livelihood to show up," the alliance said.

However, Fiji Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka said he supported the IAEA report.

"There are constant references to the plans for the wastewater to be 'dumped' in the Pacific. That creates the wrong impression. It is to be discharged - into Japan's own backyard, 7,306 km from Fiji," he wrote on Facebook.

"Those who oppose the position I've taken are obviously entitled to their viewpoints. However, I urge them to consider the science involved."

The Pacific Islands Forum - a group of 18 countries in the region - has not yet formally decided if they are for or against the imminent discharge.

Palau, Papua New Guinea, Cook Islands and the Federated States of Micronesia have publicly backed Japan, while Vanuatu and Tuvalu have expressed opposition. - BERNAMA-DPA