Activists Call for Halt in Mercury Imports After Treaty Signing

A coalition of activist groups has praised Indonesia for signing an international treaty on mercury emissions, but emphasized that the country has much to do to reduce the use of the highly toxic metal across the archipelago.
“We have to stop importing mercury and Indonesia must set a mercury-reduction target immediately in the national implementation plan,” said Yuyun Ismawati, a representative of BaliFokus.
On Oct 10, government representatives from 139 countries agreed to adopt the new mercury treaty, named the Minamata Convention on Mercury, in Kumamoto, Japan. As of today, 94 countries, including Indonesia, have signed the treaty.
The true extent of mercury poisoning was first found in Minamata. A local chemical factory dumped the metal into the city’s bay for more than 30 years, contaminating local seafood. After years of eating fish and shellfish, residents began to exhibit the signs of what is now called Minamata disease.
http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/news/activists-call-for-halt-in-mercury-imports-after-treaty-signing/