China suspends seafood imports from Japan on Fukushima water release

BEIJING – China’s government said it would “comprehensively” suspend seafood imports from Japan in response to

the start of the release of treated water

from the wrecked Fukushima nuclear power plant. 

The move impacts aquatic products from Japan and goes into effect on Thursday, the Chinese customs office said in a statement. The decision is to prevent radioactive contamination risks from nuclear treated water and ensure food safety, the statement said. 

Beijing vowed earlier this week to take unspecified “necessary steps” to safeguard food safety and the marine environment. Earlier on Thursday, China’s Ministry of Ecology and Environment said it would step up radiation monitoring in the nation’s sea areas and watch for any impact from the release. 

China already

bans food imports from 10 prefectures

around the Fukushima plant. The Hong Kong government this week announced a

ban on seafood imports from those same prefectures

, four of which are landlocked.

Japan’s government has said repeatedly that the

release will meet safety standards

, and that similar discharges of treated water are relatively commonplace in the nuclear sector.

A two-year review by the International Atomic Energy Agency found Japan’s strategy would have a negligible impact on people and the environment. BLOOMBERG