Japan criticizes Russian ban on its seafood following the release of treated radioactive water

abcnews.go.com:

Japan has criticized Russia’s announcement that it’s joining China in banning the imports of Japanese seafood in response to the release of treated radioactive wastewater from the wrecked Fukushima nuclear power plant

TOKYO — Japan criticized Russia's announcement that it's joining China in banning the imports of Japanese seafood in response to the release of treated radioactive wastewater from the wrecked Fukushima nuclear power plant.

Russia said it will start implementing import restrictions on Japanese seafood on Monday, nearly two months after the tsunami-wrecked Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant started releasing treated and diluted radioactive wastewater into the ocean.

The wastewater discharges, which are expected to continue for decades, have been strongly opposed by fishing groups and neighboring countries including South Korea, where hundreds of people have protested. China immediately banned all imports of Japanese seafood the day the release began in August, badly hurting Japanese seafood producers and exporters.

The Japanese Foreign Ministry said its senior officials notified the Russian Embassy in Tokyo that Japan has been providing transparent and scientific explanations about safety of the treated water release from the Fukushima plant and Japanese seafood. The ministry also said the Japanese side “sincerely and politely" responded to Russia's abrupt request for a dialogue last week on the issue by submitting documents.

The ministry called Moscow's restrictions “unjust” and said they go counter to the global move toward easing or lifting of import restrictions on Japanese food.

“The decision by the Russian side is extremely regrettable, and we strongly demand its withdrawal,” the ministry said.