China’s ban on Japanese marine product imports, imposed in retaliation for the release of treated radioactive water from the crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant, has hit Japan’s fishing industry hard.
But the damage is particularly acute in Hokkaido, where Chinese demand for products like scallops and sea cucumbers provides a crucial source of revenue for the prefecture. In response, local leaders have called on the central government to help make it easier for residents to enjoy Hokkaido seafood, to make up for the loss of the Chinese market.
“Hokkaido’s exports of seafood and seafood products to China came to around ¥53.2 billion in 2022, and we are extremely concerned about the impact of the ban,” Hokkaido Gov. Naomichi Suzuki said last Friday.