Sea cucumbers from Aomori Prefecture have lost their market since China imposed a ban on all seafood from Japan following the release of treated radioactive water from Tokyo Electric Power Company’s (Tepco) Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant into the ocean.
Twenty-seven fishing cooperatives in the prefecture have suspended operations in October, when the fishing season for sea cucumbers starts in a normal year.
Sea cucumbers, also known as "black diamonds," are a luxury food item in Chinese cuisine. The import ban adds difficulties for fishermen who are already struggling with declining resources due to poaching and overfishing of the product.