The Green Party has called on the Government to ensure the safety of certain seafoods in the light of proposals by the Environment Agency of England and Wales to cut the discharge limit for the radioactive substance Technetium-99, a byproduct of some British nuclear installations, writes Kevin O'Sullivan.
This is necessary, according to Green MEP Ms Nuala Ahern, because high levels of T-99 were found in lobsters in the Irish Sea last year. British Nuclear Fuels denied that it was responsible for the contamination and the Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland was of the view that the seafood was safe.
"The RPII must urgently investigate whether certain seafoods would be considered dangerous in the context of the new limit", Ms Ahern said.
At a European Parliament meeting on radiation controls this month it emerged that, under Swiss law, lobsters and seaweed for human consumption would not be permitted for sale with the levels of T-99 which had been found in the Irish Sea.
"Considering their food protection laws", Ms Ahern said, "it is ironic that Switzerland exports its nuclear waste to Sellafield."