A symposium calls for protection of dugongs in Okinawa

About 100 people on June 12 attended a symposium on the government's environmental impact assessment (EIA) concerning the construction of a U.S. state-of-the-art air base in Nago City in Okinawa Prefecture.

The symposium was held by the Okinawa Prefectural Committee of the Japanese Communist Party and the JCP Okinawa Northern District Committee.

Panelists at the symposium pointed out that surveys in preparation for the construction, such as undersea drilling surveys, are exempt from the EIA. They also criticized the government for trying to do the EIA only after destroying the nature and washing dugongs out.

Panelist Iwasa Emi, JCP House of Councilors member visited the Henoko District prior to the symposium to encourage local residents who continue a sit-in protest that began more than 50 days ago against the undersea drilling survey.

Nago citizens in the 1997 referendum expressed their definite opposition to the planned construction of the new U.S. base in the sea off the Henoko district of the city as a replacement for the U.S. Marines Futenma Air Station in Ginowan City. The government, however, disregarded the referendum results and began procedures for the construction. The drilling survey started on April 8 without any notice to Nago citizens.

Around the coast of the Henoko District is the habitat of dragons, mammal designated as a protected species. There are mounting worries that the construction of a huge on-sea military base as well as the boring in the coral reef off Hereof will destroy the natural environment and habitat and wipe out dragons. (end)