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The
Northernmost Dugongs Embraced
by the Woods, Nurtured by the Sea, Living with People Let Us
Care For Them and Protect Their Habitats The Association to
Protect the Northernmost Dugong http://sea-dugong.org/ Saving
Okinawa's Dugongs From Extinction What Kind Of Animal Is A Dugong? Dugong
is a herbivorous marine mammal. Normally, a dugong is from 2.5 to 3 meters long
and weighs about 300 kilograms. Dugongs live along the beaches of the Indian
Ocean and in the warm waters from Asia to Australia. The Okinawa dugong is the
northernmost member of the species. The world population of dugong is estimated
to be about 100,000 most of which live around Australia, but the other groups
are cut off and endangered. The only
food dugongs eat is "seagrass" (NOT seaweed) a plant which grows in
shallow waters along the beaches, so they have to live close to humans. They
are often killed by mistake and sometimes even hunted. A female dugong gives
birth to only a few litters during its lifetime. It is, therefore, difficult
for any isolated dugong population to recover once its numbers decline. A dugong
will eat about 10 percent of its body weight in seagrass in a day.
Environmental damage close to the shore can be harmful to seagrass colonies and
may endanger the dugongs' survival. The
dugong is designated as a Natural Monument and its hunting is prohibited. Both
the Ministry of Environment and the Okinawa Prefecture include them in their
Red Data Books. Officially, dugong is recognized as a species highly vulnerable
to extinction in the wild. However, in spite of repeated warnings from the
International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) to provide more effective
measures for dugong protection, the Japanese government has failed to act. What
Forces are driving Dugong to the Verge of Extinction? There
are four major threats to the dugong’s
survival. 1) the wide use of fish nets in their habitats:
dugongs can easily drown in them. 2) the destruction of an important part of the
dugong’s
habitat,the coral reef: unexploded bombs and shells are disposed of by
detonating them in the sea. 3) damage to the coastal environment caused by
changes in land use or development: mud and pollution. 4) the destruction of the dugong’s feeding places. In the last ten years 38
artificial beaches have been made. More than any other place in Japan, the
Okinawa shoreline is now covered with unnatural beaches where seagrass cannot
grow. And without seagrass, dugongs cannot survive. Beside
these there is another urgent threat to their habitat; the planned relocation
of the US Marine Base in Futenma to Henoko, Nago City. The bay at Henoko, rich
with the seagrass and an important refuge for dugongs, is going to be filled in
to build a new base. Will The
New US Base Be Built?
Japanese government is trying to carry out the new base plan by brute
force. However, the Nago citizens and the whole of the Okinawa people are
strongly opposed to the plan. They wish to have Okinawa free from military
bases and become an Island of Peace. They would like to see their island be a
place where people can coexist with dugongs. The local elders and supporters
have been holding a sit-in on the Henoko shore for more than 2500 days (as of
mid-April, 2011) in protest against the new base plan. The will of the people
of Okinawa stands strong. The Okinawans will never give in to the pressures
from both Japanese and American governments.
Our
Dugong Protection Activity Our Actions (1) Continuous
monitoring of the dugong’s
habitats Dugongs uproot the sea grass as they graze.
This leaves white bands on the sand, called the dugong trenches. By studying
these trenches we can learn how many there are and how much they eat. We
regularly observe the trenches to find out how the animals live. (2) Research
history and culture related to dugong In order to protect dugong it is necessary to
reconstruct a social system enabling the people and dugong to coexist. For that
purpose we have been researching, since 2004, history and culture related to
dugong. In various parts of Okinawa many historical
records related to dugong are found. Quite a number of dugong related legends
expressing reverence of nature are known. Some of such legends match historical
records of the Meiwa Tsunami of 1771. (3) Public
relations for dugong We invite grass-roots groups to join us in
researching the dugong habitats. Frequent study sessions and observation tours
are organized to deepen the knowledge and understanding of dugong and the coral
reef ecology. (4) Encouraging local actions to create effective
dugong protection measures The military base problem has long tormented
Okinawa. The plan to build a new base is a heavy burden for the citizens of
Nago. We shall, however, continue to seek practical measures for dugong
protection together with the Nago Mayor Inamine who pledged never to allow a
new base, either on land or in the sea. What Can
You Do Now To Protect The Okinawa Dugong? Join Us ! We Are Recruiting New Members Annual membership fees: General
\3,000 Junior
(under the age 18) \1,500 Family
\5,000
Supporter \10,000 We shall mail our bulletin ‘Itajii no Mori ni Idakarete’ (Embraced by the Itajii Woods) to the members. How to remit: (1) Postal
order: Account
number 00160-8-761009 Remittee:
Inoue Sumio Jimusho (2) Bank
account: Mizuho
Bank Kiyose Branch (#731) Ordinary
deposit account number 1148731 Remittee:
Hokugen no Jugon wo Mimamoru Kai You Are
Welcome To Join Our Action In Various Ways Submit your articles to our bulletin; join us
in the editing, printing and mailing of the bulletin. Join us in our public
meetings, our negotiations with the administration and our research activities.
Contact
Us (1) Okinawa Office (Team Zan
Office) 〒905-0011
Miyasato 4-12-8, Nago, Okinawa c/o Masako Suzuki Tel,Fax
0980-43-7027 Cell
phone 090-8032-2564 http://hokugen.ti-da.net/ http://teamzan.ti-da.net/ (2) Tokyo Metropolitan Area
Office 〒352-0032
Niiza-shi 2-1-7-309 c/o Sumio Inoue Tel,Fax
042-492-1641 (3) To
contact in English Kenichi
Iyanaga 〒355-0227
Senjudo 497-4, Ranzan, Hikigun, Saitamaken Tel
090-8024-7151 Home Page: http://sea-dugong.org/ Some part of our HP is still under
construction. We apologize for the delay. Look forward to more later. The following is our group's 2009 report to the UNEP: Grassroots
Action To Save The Northernmost Dugong From
Extinction November 27,2009 Foreword Northernmost Dugong The dugong (Dugong dugon) is a marine mammal belonging, with the manatee, to the order Sirenia. It lives in tropical and subtropical coastal areas from the Indian Ocean to the Western Pacific where the Okinawan population occupies the northernmost extent of its range. The total dugong population is estimated at around 100,000; most of them off the coasts of Australia, while many of the other isolated local populations are in danger of extinction. In Japan the dugong is designated a Natural Monument; it is listed as a vulnerable species in the IUCN Red List (VU A1cd 2,000). The UNEP report on dugong (2002) also warns that it will become extinct in Japan unless protection measures are taken very soon. (Ref: Addendum #1.) The History of the Okinawan Dugong There was formerly an abundant dugong population spread throughout the Ryukyu Archipelago. Dugong bones have been excavated from many shell mounds and archeological sites in the same area. Dugong meat was eaten and its bones crafted. During the Ryukyu Dynasty dugong meat was used as tribute paid to the Ryukyu Court and to the Chinese Emperor. There are numerous traditional songs, sayings and folklore related to dugong. The dugong population suffered a sharp decrease due to over hunting over the late 19th century and early 20th century. The use of explosives to hunt dugong during the post-WWⅡfood crisis caused a further decline. Today, the dugong has disappeared from much of its former range with only a limited number observed off the Main Island of Okinawa. In 1972, the Japanese government designated the dugong as a Natural Monument. In 1993, the capture of dugong was made illegal by the Living Aquatic Resources Protection Act. In 2005, Okinawa Prefecture designated the dugong as Endangered. Two years later the Ministry of Environment included the dugong in its Red List (Vulnerable IA) recognizing the extremely high probability of extinction in the wild in the near future. Furthermore, in 2008, the IUCN 4th International Convention adopted a resolution recommending, for the third time, that special measures for the dugong protection be taken by both the US and the Japanese governments. However, no effective measures have yet been taken. (Ref: Addendum #2.)
The Okinawan Dugong and US Bases In 1998 the existence of a group of dugong near the northern limit of their historical range off the east coast of the Okinawa Island was confirmed but nothing was done at the time to protect this small population. The reason for this inaction was that the area where the dugongs were located coincided with the proposed site to relocate the US Marine Corps Air Station Futenma, an item agreed in a deal based upon the Japan-US Security Treaty. This prompted groups of citizens to start their own conservation campaign. In 2004, when the government began a preliminary construction survey, which involved drilling into the seabed within the dugong habitat, a sit-in was started in Henoko. Anti-base demonstrations and awareness of nature conservation reached new heights, such that in October 2005, the government was obliged to abandon its original plan of reclaiming a part of Henoko Bay. However, during negotiations on the re-organization of the US Forces, a new plan for building a base on the coast at Henoko was put forward and, in May 2006, over the heads of local people, the national government reached an agreement for a new base at Henoko and O-ura Bay. (Ref: Addendum 3,”Ken-min Taikai (A Rally by the Okinawans)”) Threats To The Okinawan Dugong There are four principal dangers facing the dugong in Okinawa: 1. Fatal entanglement in fishing nets, 2. Disposal of unexploded ordnance; the left-over from WWⅡ, 3. Degradation of the marine environment due to development, 4. Construction of a replacement for the Futenma Base at Henoko, a major source of the dugong’s sole food: seagrass ( Halodule spp., Cymbodocia spp., Thalassia spp., etc i.e. not “seaweed”). Because of development, particularly on the southern and western coasts of Okinawa, Henoko Bay now contains the largest of the few remaining seagrass beds in the prefecture. The current plan for the Futenma relocation, to be completed by 2014, includes a part of the Camp Schwab on Henoko Cape as its site. A part of the O-ura Bay, rich in seagrass and adjacent to Camp Schwab, is chosen to be land-filled. The environmental impact assessment is being pushed through for the project. It is, however, becoming increasingly likely that the effects on dugong and other wildlife will not be reflected accurately in the EIA report. Presently, the Japanese EIA system lacks any proper function to halt development harmful to the ecosystem. As in such cases as the Isahaya reclamation project and the air port at Ishigaki, even though scientists presented contradictory evidence and protested the unsuitability of the EIA and its conclusions, it is presently the normal state of affairs in Japan for such projects to be steamrollered through. Apart from the effects that building a new base will have on the seagrass beds and other elements essential to the dugong habitat, there are other activities which are destroying the habitat on a daily basis. US forces hold military exercises that damage the beaches and coral reefs, while the explosive destruction of unexploded ordnance destroys the marine ecosystem, adding to the stress on the dugong’s fragile habitat and hastening the countdown to extinction. To prevent these and the other two causes of dugong decline, and to form a conservation plan to control the use of the habitat, more research into the physiology and ecology of the dugong in Okinawa is essential. (Ref. Addendum 4, Common US Forces Exercises) Grassroots Action to Protect Dugong Our Association (APND) started its activities in 2007 by forming a team to investigate the dugong’s habitat by means of a survey of feeding trails on the seagrass beds. By exposing the slipshod assessment methods of the Okinawa Defense Facilities Bureau and the realities of the ongoing destruction with modest, grass-roots monitoring of the environment, the Association has become an effective element in the conservation of the dugong. On another tack, we contributed to a case at the federal court in San Francisco against the US Department of Defense (Okinawa Dugong v. Gates, N.D.Cal., C-03-4350) which recognised the cultural and historical significance of the dugong as well as its status as a natural monument in Japan, finding the Department of Defense (DOD) in violation of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) and requiring it to consider impacts of a new airbase on the endangered Okinawa dugong in order to avoid or mitigate any harm. Much of the evidence of the cultural, social and historical value of the dugong originated in the groundwork of the APND, and we hope the result will provide an educational basis for improving the ethics and value judgements of a future society that can live in harmony with the dugong. (Addendum 5; Dugong habitat survey by grassroots people) Conclusion In 10 years of conservation campaigning the plight of Okinawa’s remaining dugong has gained attention at home and abroad, but the threat to its existence has, if anything, increased. The local people’s sit-in to protest the seabed drilling survey (a direct physical threat to the dugong’s habitat) has continued since 2004. The government’s repeated flouting of its own laws regarding environmental assessment threatens the dugong and the local population. In order for our efforts based on modest field survey to be fruitful it is essential that we are trusted by the local people and enjoy their cooperation. National policy may seem to defy any protest, but with the people we shall continue to stand up to it. Daily monitoring of the dugong’s habitat by the local people makes them familiar with scientific methods and will provide a basis for them to draw up their own road-map for effective dugong protection. In addition to the Futenma relocation plan a project to transfer a military helipad in the northern part of the Okinawa Island close to the Yambaru Forest adds to the deterioration of the ecosystem. The forest and the sea constitute one whole ecosystem. The protection of the dugong habitat is directly connected to the conservation of the arboreal ecosystem. In our efforts to encourage more Okinawans to commit themselves for the cause of dugong protection, we are emphasizing that the dugong legacy is an important part of the history and culture of Okinawa. We have made a number of proposals concerning environmental education programs and local nature conservation projects. After we submitted our 2008 UNEP Report a power-shift occurred both in Japan and US. The Okinawans, with the most of the US bases in Japan concentrated in their island, now face a new situation. Having been victimized by the US bases and deteriorating ecosystem, the people are watching closely to see if the new catchphrase: “Peace, Human Rights and Ecology” adopted by the new leaders will lead to a genuine change. The unfair nature of the Japan-US Status Agreement attached to the Security Treaty and attendant human rights abuse in Okinawa, and the threats to the dugong are parts of the same picture. We pray that President Obama will become aware that the people here sincerely wish peace to return to their island and be able to coexist with the dugong: their partner throughout history. Just as American citizens and Conservation groups hold dear the endangered manatee in Florida, the citizens of Nago and Okinawa Prefecture also cherish the dugong. If the leaders of the two countries disappoint the Okinawan people’s expectations to be treated as equals to the citizens of the Japanese Mainland and of the US, and carry out this project, ruinous to their future, both the Hatoyama and Obama administrations would destroy the people’s faith in them and be remembered as destroyers of the Okinawan natural environment.
(Translator’s note: The title for this article is changed, with the author’s consent, from “Citizen’s Action to Conserve the Ecosystem and to Combat Disruption of the Northernmost Dugong’s Habitat by the US Military and to Protect the Okinawan Dugong from Extinction Prompted by Relocation of the US Futenma Base”.) |