Japan Press Weekly

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2014 November 26 - December 2 [SOCIAL ISSUES]

Fishermen oppose carrying landfill materials to Henoko

Fishermen in Tokunoshima Island (Kagoshima Prefecture) are protesting against the transport of debris and sands from the island to reclaim land for the construction of a new U.S. base in Okinawa.

In order for the reclamation work of the sea area off the Henoko district in Okinawa’s Nago City to be completed, the government plans to gather landfill materials from within Okinawa and seven other sites in western Japan. Tokunoshima Island, located in the northeast of Okinawa, is one of the seven sites. The island is to supply 3.5 million cubic meters of landfill materials to Henoko. The government intends to spend one billion yen in the island to set up a temporary pier where a 6,000-ton transport ship can be anchored.

The Tokunoshima Fishery Cooperative, which holds the fishing rights at the pier construction site, on November 7 at its board meeting unanimously decided to oppose the construction plan on the ground that it will damage the natural environment of the sea area. In response to this decision, the Tokunoshima Town government expressed its intention to take the fishermen’s decision into careful consideration. The Kagoshima Prefectural government also said that it will not approve the pier construction if local fishermen are against it.

The president of the cooperative said to Akahata, “The precious environment of Tokunoshima should be passed down to the next generation. It cannot be sold to the highest bidder.”

Past related article:
> Reclamation work at Henoko will damage natural environment [September 13, 2014]