TOKYO, Sept 4 — Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said today the government would allocate an additional ¥20.7 billion (RM658 million) to support the fisheries industry after China’s total import ban of Japanese aquatic products.

The ban followed the start of Japan’s release of treated radioactive water from the destroyed Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant last month.

The government had previously set up two funds worth ¥80 billion to help develop new markets and keep excess fish frozen until they can be sold when demand recovers, among other measures.

With the additional funding, from budget reserves, support would total ¥100.7 billion, Kishida said. — Reuters