Japan Press Weekly

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2008 October 15 - 21 [US FORCES]

Conservationists advise protection of dugong in Okinawa

The International Union Conservation of Nature (IUCN) at its general meeting in Barcelona, Spain, urged Japan and the United States to modify the assessment that would permit construction of a new U.S. air base at Camp Schwab in the Henoko district of Nago City, Okinawa, so that the habitat for the dugong will be preserved.

This is the third IUCN recommendation to the Japanese government regarding the preservation of the endangered rare mammal dugong in connection with the Japanese and U.S. government plan to construct the new U.S. Marine Corps air base.

The IUCN requested the Japanese government to draw up a plan of action aimed at avoiding adverse effects that the base construction will have on the dugong habitat.

It also called on the U.S. government to establish its plan of action after conducting an environmental impact assessment with the Japanese government.

The recommendation was proposed by six Japanese non-governmental conservation groups calling for the protection of Okinawa’s dugong.

The Japanese Communist Party in May demanded that the government cancel the plan to construct the new U.S. base and designate the area, which Japan and the United States chose as the base site, as a zone to be protected in conformity with the IUCN recommendation.