Fukushima - will there be a problem Alaska? (Ketchikan, Skagway: 2013, buy)

[Hawknest]

More curious than anything else. I live 5 mi from the Alaska border and surrounded by mountains, this will not affect me personally, but I am wondering if this will be a major problem.

So far no one in Congress or the WH has yet to address this issue - something about our not being paid. Anyway, the Tepco operated Fukushima power plant is releasing 300-400T of radioactive waste water into the Pacific every day. Some of the flotsam has already arrived on Alaska and BC shorelines and more is yet to come!

West Coast of North America to Be Hit Hard by Fukushima Radiation | Washington's Blog

There are plenty of stories about this if you'll do a search. I just picked the one with the interactive map.

As it stands right now, no one is accepting fish products from Japan. China just rejected scrap metal shipment from Japan when the geiger counters sounded alarms.

The first wave of radioactive flotsam arrived in Alaskan water less than a year after the tsumami. Add to that the first known contaminated salmon. Ahi (tuna) have had cesium in their bodies for longer than I can remember.

Finding the flotsam: where is Japan's floating tsunami wreckage headed? : Nature News & Comment

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/13/us...ches.html?_r=0

Ocean Pollution - Tsunami in Japan Sends Toxic Debris into Pacific

[Barkingowl]

Are there any neighbors with geiger counters?

[Metlakatla]

The first link that you posted pretty much said that most of the ocean junk that's washed up on AK's shores hasn't been found to have been radioactive.

Not sure what ahi tuna has to do with Alaska.

I'm not sure where your assertion that Alaska salmon has already been contaminated comes from. Can you be more specific about your source for that?

[cocaseco]

This will be a problem, and it's odd how few in government seem concerned, even when they were working. It's going to have a huge impact effecting millions of people and thousands of coastline mile, from multiple countries.

The great irony here is that we nuked Japan and they recovered, now they nuked us and we may not.

[induchman2]

Is Fukushima Radiation Contaminating Tuna, Salmon and Herring On the West Coast of North America? | Global Research

Empire Editorial: Is Fukushima tainting one of Alaska's most valuable resources? | Juneau Empire - Alaska's Capital City Online Newspaper

Fukushima

[Metlakatla]

Interesting. Another report out of BC. I read the Juneau article weeks ago. As they say in the article, it's all speculation.

Associated Press reports that both scientists and native elders in British Columbia say that sockeye numbers have plummeted:

Salmon returns in Alaska broke every record in the book this year despite the slow run out at Bristol.

BC's low returns could be caused by their numerous offshore fish farms.

Who knows what'll happen, but if Japan can't get that plant under control, maybe they should shut it down. I don't know enough about nuclear technology to know that will do any good or stop the leaks.

Salmon mature in deep water. This was the year that would have indicated that certain salmon species had been substantially impacted by the aftermath of the earthquake. I don't know what's going on in BC, but they've been having trouble for years, way before that ever happened. They're probably just looking for another reason to hype their fish farms. By the way, the sockeye runs that would have been most effected by the original disaster are still two years out.

Again, Alaska just experienced a record fish year, as in the best in recorded history. I notice that the BC article didn't mention that. Ingenious. Wild salmon may well end up being affected by this, but BC looks to be up to its old tricks trying to sway public opinion AGAIN so that consumers will buy its crap farmed fish.

By the way, the only thing that John Taylor is an expert on is writing alarmist rhetoric on his blog.

You guys are welcome to their spiel; it's a ruse that leaves a fishy taste in my mouth. A farmed fishy taste.

[Metlakatla]

Southern Southeast Alaska isn't terribly far from British Columbia, yet they're yelping the blues about their abysmal fish runs in BC.

Record fishing year in Southeast | Juneau Empire - Alaska's Capital City Online Newspaper

So what's the difference between the salmon scene in SE Alaska and in BC? Fish farms.

[Metlakatla]

Originally Posted by induchman2

Is Fukushima Radiation Contaminating Tuna, Salmon and Herring On the West Coast of North America? | Global Research

Empire Editorial: Is Fukushima tainting one of Alaska's most valuable resources? | Juneau Empire - Alaska's Capital City Online Newspaper

Fukushima

You need to take anything on the first website with a couple of football fields of salt. It's full of lies, contradictions and obvious twists. It states that salmon runs in Alaska were down significantly this year, and that's easily disputed with actual facts.

I've seen no evidence on any of the blogs and opinion pieces posted here in an attempt to "prove" something that actual significant contamination to Alaskan salmon occurred.

Does anyone have any real information about this? So far, all I've seen in shadowy allegations in "blogs" from BC fish farming shills.

I'm not saying that caution isn't in order here and that the AK fishing industry couldn't face serious damage because of the recent leaks, but these are some of the same questionable sources that have been crying wolf about Alaska salmon for years. It would come as no surprise to learn that their funding source is the BC farmed fish industry.

[induchman2]

Ok, so Alaska would rather wait to see if the predictions are wrong? Washington State isn't waiting. Alaska insists there is no problem. But if they are wrong and they had a chance to help turn it around - who's responsible for that call?

I worked in several nuc facilities in the 60's and 70's. The waste water can contain low levels or high levels. It's the cesium that is deadly.

[Hawknest]

I as I said, I live where most likely I won't be directly affected. But, should the cruise lines decide to not operate due to an imminent threat, it will have a ripple effect to many thousands from Skagway to Sitka to Ketchikan and down to Seattle. So, it bears closer scrutiny that just saying it won't happen.

I seem to remember in Minimata, Japan - residents were told the mercury in the oyster beds wasn't a problem. Thousands died of mercury poisoning. Their govt did nothing - just ignored it for years.

I would lean on the side of caution.