Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is urging China to lift its blanket ban on Japanese seafood, which was put in place after the release of treated radioactive water from the Fukushima plant a year ago. Kishida emphasized that the ban is not based on scientific evidence and called for its immediate repeal.
A ministerial meeting will be held to address China’s ban, with economic measures expected in the fall. Kishida also highlighted the need for legal revisions to support the struggling fishing industry in Fukushima Prefecture.
Despite efforts to diversify seafood exports to other countries, Japan continues to face challenges due to the ban from China. The water discharge from the Fukushima plant remains a point of contention, with China labeling it as “nuclear-contaminated.”
Since the release of treated water into the sea, monitoring has shown no abnormalities in the seawater around the plant. The Japanese government maintains that the water has been processed to remove contaminants, except for tritium, and the discharge was necessary for decommissioning purposes.
© KYODO