By the Caribbean Journal staff

CARICOM Chairman Dr Denzil Douglas, Prime Minister of St Kitts and Nevis, has called for an immediate halt to the passage of radioactive material through the Caribbean Sea, something he called “unacceptable and injurious.” Douglas said that such transits have become intolerable to the region, as they compromise the Caribbean’s ecosystem and put its people at risk. “CARICOM remains immutable in its opposition to the passage of shipments of radioactive material through the Caribbean Sea, the rich but fragile ecosystem which is recognised by the United Nations as a Special Area in the context of sustainable development.” Douglas specifically addressed the governments of the United Kingdom, France and Japan who have made such transports. The call came following the announcement of a new shipment of Vitrified High-Level Waste that will leave the UK this week for Japan through the Caribbean.