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Some shipping companies, already facing burdensome fuel costs, say they now must contend with radiation spot checks on ships that have visited Japan.
The potential economic domino effect resulting from Japan's Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster affecting shippers and airlines might now be compounded by the announcement by several governments they will begin monitoring vessels making stops in Japan, The New York Times reported Wednesday.
The governments of Malaysia, Indonesia, China, Germany, Denmark, the Netherlands and the United States have all begun monitoring ships.
It's not a "giant killer" type of problem, but added to concerns such as the health of the Japanese economy, rising fuel prices and piracy off the coast of Somalia, it's a wild card with the potential to escalate into a high state of nervousness.
Adding to the confusion is the inability to grasp exactly what measures are being taken by port, security, health and customs authorities in different countries, what radiation level each one deems normal, and what steps are taken if unusual levels are found.
There is no consensus on what radiation level is considered safe.
Measures announced so far vary widely and often lack detail about what is considered safe or abnormal, the Times said.
The U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency said last week, "out of an abundance of caution" -- a phrase it used earlier to describe its motive behind issuing potassium iodide pills -- it ordered personnel in the field to monitor air and maritime traffic from Japan.
The Marine Department in Hong Kong is "keeping track" of seagoing vessels that have ventured within about 18 miles of Fukushima.
"We know some places are screening for radioactivity," said Arthur Bowring, managing director of the Hong Kong Shipowners Association, one of the largest associations of its kind. "But often, we don't know what exactly they are screening, and what levels of radioactivity would be considered abnormal by the various officials."
One apparently anomalous case inflaming shipping industry fears involved a Japanese cargo ship from Mitsui O.S.K. Lines turned away last week from the Entry-Exit Inspection and Quarantine Bureau in the Chinese city of Xiamen after officials said they found a "radioactive anomaly" on the ship.
The vessel's radiation level was measured at 3.5 microsieverts per hour, considered by experts to be more than safe.
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发表于 2011-4-1 11:38
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