The government on Monday increased the size of an aid package for the fishing sector after China banned its seafood in the wake of the release of wastewater from the crippled Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant.
The announcement came as more than 100 fishermen and locals living near Fukushima Prefecture were to file a lawsuit this week seeking to stop the discharge.
The ¥20.7 billion ($141 million) in additional funding announced by Prime Minister Fumio Kishida comes on top of an existing ¥80 billion aimed at minimizing reputational damage to the industry and keeping businesses afloat.