Photo/Illutration Scallops caught in Nemuro, Hokkaido, in April 2021 (Asahi Shimbun file photo)

Japan’s fishery product exports to China plummeted more than 90 percent following Beijing’s blanket import ban on Japanese seafood imposed this summer.

Japan sold only 800 million yen ($5.3 million) in aquatic products to China in September, down 90.8 percent compared to the same month last year, according to data released on Nov. 7 by the agriculture ministry.

Most of the diminished exports were non-edible products such as koi to be used as pets or display, pearls and coral.

Scallop exports to China were wiped out following Beijing’s harsh reaction to the release of treated radioactive water from Tokyo Electric Power Co.’s crippled Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant into the sea, which began in late August.

Japan exported 5.3 billion yen worth of the shellfish to China in September last year.

However, Japan’s overall fishery product exports increased 2.7 percent to 33 billion yen due to increased sales in Hong Kong and the United States.

Seafood exports to Hong Kong jumped 86.9 percent to 12.6 billion yen.

In particular, scallop exports to the region surged 48.8 percent to 1.7 billion yen, primarily because Hokkaido, the main producer of the shellfish, was removed from Hong Kong’s blacklist of 10 Japanese prefectures.

Scallop exports to the United States skyrocketed tenfold to 2 billion yen, driven by Japan’s efforts to find alternative markets for its seafood.

Japan’s total exports of agricultural, forestry and fishery products and food between January and September reached 1.053 trillion yen, surpassing the 1 trillion yen threshold a month earlier than the previous year.

Related News