The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has found that Alaska seafood is safe from Fukushima radiation, but a citizen's group plans to conduct a separate study of the water in lower Cook Inlet using a crowdsource funding site.
"The (FDA) results confirm information from federal, state and international agencies that seafood in the North Pacific and Alaska waters poses no radiation related health concerns to those who consume it," said a statement released by state health and environmental officials.
The FDA review was based on a sampling plan developed by the departments of Environmental Conservation and Health and Social Services, the agencies said. Analyzed were several Alaska fish species harvested by commercial, sport and subsistence fishermen that migrate from the western Pacific Ocean.
"The testing found no detections of the Fukushima-related radioisotopes Iodine-131, Cesium-134, or Cesium-137," the statement said. "There was some detection of background or naturally-occurring radiation. The results indicate no appreciable risk from any tested radionuclide in these fish."
Cook Inletkeeper said Friday it would raise money to test waters in Kachemak Bay at crowdrise.com.
People remain worried that radiation has spread to Alaska from the 2011 nuclear disaster in Japan, said Bob Shavelson, executive director of Cook Inletkeeper.
"We've been getting a lot of calls concerned about issue and there was a lot of misinformation floating around the Internet and no one was testing water to compare it to a baseline condition," he said.
The conservation department has posted information about the tests at its website .
Reach Alex DeMarban at alex@alaskadispatch.com.
By ALEX DeMARBAN
alex@alaskadispatch.com