Japan discusses aid for fisheries industry amid China ban

The government Friday discussed measures to support the fisheries industry amid a hit from China’s prolonged import ban on Japanese seafood.
“We’ve confirmed we’ll firmly maintain without any change our commitment to take full responsibility” over the matter, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida told a meeting of relevant ministers.
He said that the commitment will remain the same until Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings (Tepco) completes the discharges of tritium-containing treated water from its meltdown-stricken Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant into the ocean.
Kishida voiced his intent to maintain assistance for the fisheries industry to let stakeholders continue their work.
“We’ll do our utmost to assist the fisheries industry nationwide by steadily implementing these measures, as well as steps in an economic stimulus package expected to be decided in autumn,” he added.
The Chinese government introduced the blanket ban on Japanese seafood in response to Japan discharge of the treated water from August last year.
Japan has repeatedly asked China to lift the ban, saying that the measure is not based on scientific evidence. But China has refused to do so.
In monetary terms, Japan’s fisheries exports to China in 2023 fell 29.9% from the preceding year to ¥61 billion ($420 million).
While the government has been working to increase sales of such products to other countries, those efforts have been unable to make up for the loss from the Chinese ban.
Kishida met with representatives of the fisheries industry in Fukushima Prefecture, where the nuclear plant stands, last Saturday — a year after Tepco began discharging the treated water.
Tepco President Tomoaki Kobayakawa also attended Friday’s government meeting.
“We’ll fulfill our roles and responsibilities until the last drop” of the treated water is released, he told reporters after the meeting.