Japan's government has begun looking at ways to further support the country's fishing industry in the wake of China's import ban on Japanese seafood.

Chinese customs authorities on Thursday announced all imports of seafood from Japan would be suspended following the release of treated and diluted water from the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant into the ocean.

China is the largest importer of Japanese seafood. Last year, Japan exported marine products worth 87.1 billion yen, or about 595 million dollars.

The Japanese government says the ban is expected to have a major impact on the fishing industry.

The scallop industry is one of those under consideration for additional support. Scallops account for more than half of seafood exports to China.

Some Japanese scallops processed in China are said to be exported to third countries, including the United States.

The government is considering ways to circumvent China by helping set up seafood processing facilities in Japan and establishing sales channels.

The government has already set up a fund worth about 546 million dollars to deal with reputational damage caused by rumors associated with the water release.
It is set to compile additional support measures while analyzing the impact of China's import ban.