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00:00 Authorities in Hong Kong say they will ban seafood imports from 10 prefectures in Japan.
00:06 The move will come into effect if a plant to discharge treated radioactive water from
00:10 the Fukushima plant goes ahead.
00:13 The Japanese plan facing opposition both at home and abroad despite the UN's nuclear watchdog
00:18 approving it.
00:19 For more on this story, here's Yena Li reporting from Beijing.
00:24 When you speak with workers at the seafood market behind me, it seems like no one imports
00:28 Japanese products, or very little of it.
00:31 The workers at the rare stores with Japanese products on display refused to speak to us.
00:36 The dozens of people who did though weren't catered towards Japanese restaurants per se,
00:41 and almost all of them were against Tokyo's plans.
00:45 "I am strongly against it.
00:50 Strongly, strongly against it.
00:54 Releasing the water will surely affect our planet.
00:57 It could affect our descendants.
01:00 And of course we are worried about the seafood industry."
01:04 "The Japanese lack a conscience.
01:09 The nuclear sewage pollutes all of the surrounding countries.
01:13 This especially impacts people like us who sell sea products, and also everyone who enjoys
01:18 eating seafood."
01:19 Off camera, people had more nuanced views though, with some people pointed out that
01:26 Japan has a history of high hygiene standards, others said that if a client wanted to buy
01:31 a Japanese fish, that he would find a way to provide him with it.
01:35 Despite existing import restrictions, China was Japan's biggest seafood buyer last year.
01:40 And overall though, the businesses here remain concerned about the direct and indirect impact
01:47 on their industries.
01:48 For example, the reputational damage on all seafood products, regardless of their provenance.