（from 『オルタナティブ運動情報メーリングリスト』 改行位置等若干変更）
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 Subject: [aml 8289] "Save Nago" message
 Date: Sun, 19 Apr 1998 01:04:54 +0900
 From: Tsuyoshi Okada <tokada@jca.ax.apc.org>
 

　前略、岡田です。以下は、名護ヘリポート基地に反対する会（〒230-0076　
横浜市鶴見区馬場２−18−７−101、電話：030-913-6353、電話／FAX：045-
586-0283）が作成した英文のメッセージです。
　名護海上ヘリポート基地建設に反対するメッセージを寄せてほしいとの
要請で、昨年12月にＷＷＦジャパンが出した「要望書」の全文（英語）も
添付しています。全体としては、自然保護の観点を押し出して、基地建設
計画に反対する内容となっています。
　私は非力ゆえになかなかちゃんとこの「反対する会」のお手伝いはできな
いのですが、少しでも・・・ということで、ａｍｌに投稿させていただきま
した。
　ａｍｌに参加しておられる皆さんに、お願いです。
（１）以下の英文を転載していただけませんか？　テーマや内容的には、
海外の環境保護団体、反基地グループ、人権運動などが候補となると考え
ます。
（２）あるいは、こういうグループ、団体に送ってみたら・・・という
提案も歓迎します。

　ということで、以下を「切り取って」使っていただけたらと考えており
ます。以下は、全部で約200行あります。
　よろしくお願いいたします。　　岡田剛士　<tokada@jca.ax.apc.org>

-----(Please forward the following)-------------------------------

Association for Preventing Nago Offshore Base Construction (Japan)

     >>>>>>> Save the Coral reef, <<<<<<<
     >>>>>>> Dugongs, Turtles and <<<<<<
     >>>>>> Peoples's Life in Nago <<<<<<
     >>>>> from Base construction! <<<<<

     We would like to ask you for your cooperation to help stop the
construction of a U.S. military facility off the shore of Henoko village
in Nago, Okinawa. We hope that individuals and organizations all over
the would concerned with the environment and human rights will
support the Nago Citizens' Movement that is against this construction.
     There are several reasons why we object to it. First of all, there
are innumerable criminal cases that have happened because of the
existence of military bases. One particular case occured in the autumn
of 1995, a 12-year-old Okinawan schoolgirl was abducted and raped
by three U.S. servicemen. While the land area of Okinawa is only 0.6%
of all of Japan, 75% U.S. military bases in Japan are concentrated in
this small space. The U.S. military base problems are not being
solved by moving base functions within Okinawa. If another base is
constructed, citizens of that area will be exposed to danger.
     In the sea area around the site proposed for building the base, an
international protected animal, the dugong sea mammal is found.
There also lives algae which is the Dugong's food. Turtles are another
victim. Since both dugongs and turtles are very sensitive creatures,
they might have to leave their home to look for another place to
settle down. Moreover, the site chosen for the off shore base is well
known for it's beautiful coral reef. The coral reef plays an important
role such as acting as a natural breakwater on the coast and helps to
preserve bio-diversity in the area.
     All life must be protected from the base including animals and
plants. On 19 December 1997, the World Wide Fund For Nature (WWF)
Japan presented its written opinion to the Japanese Prime Minister.
WWF Japan also sent the same opinion to the Defence Agency and its
copy to the Environment Agency, the Okinawan Governor and Nago Mayor.
     We approve WWF's written opinion and ask you to support the
action against the project of the base construction in the sea off
Camp Schwab.
     Please write the following Japanese political leaders in the list!!
     Thank you very much for your attention, and we appreciate your help
very much.

Association for Preventing Nago Offshore Base Construction
Baba 2-18-7-101, Tsurumi-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan
Tel: +81-3-3308-3618
Fax: +81-45-586-0283
E-mail: tokada@jca.ax.apc.org
 

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< Address of the Japanese political figures >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Prime Minister's Office (PM; Ryutaro Hashimoto);
     Nagata-cho 6-1, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, Japan
The Defence Agency (Minister; Fumio Kyuma);
     Akasaka 9-7-45, Minato-ku, Tokyo, Japan
The Environment Agency (Minister; Hirosh Oki);
     Kasumigaseki 1-2-2, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, Japan
The Okinawan Prefectural Office (Governer; Masahide Ota);
     Izumizaki 1-2-2, Naha, Okinawa, Japan
The Nago City Hall (Mayor; Takeo Kishimoto);
     Minato 1-1-1, Nago, Okinawa, Japan
 

<<<<<<<<<<<<<< World Wide Fund For Nature (WWF) 's letter
   to Japanese Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

19 December 1997

Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto

  Hisako Hatakeyama
  Chairperson
  World Wide Fund For Nature (WWF) Japan

Re: On the proposed project to set up a US military helicopter base
in the sea off Camp Schwab on the Okinawa Island

     Excellency,
     With regard to the problem cited above, I am writing to present
WWF Japan's observation and to solicit your thoughtful reconsideration
of the matter.

     As you are well aware, since 1983 the World Wide Fund For
Nature (WWF) Japan has been actively engaged in the projects
especially aimed at conservation of the nature of Nansei Shoto islands.
WWF published in 1980, jointly with the International Union for
Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) and the United
Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), a "World Conservation
Strategy." Nansei Shoto area was the sole site in Japan included in
the list of those biogeographical areas which need of urgent
implementation of the conservation projects, and again the "marine
and forestal ecosystems in the Nansei Shoto area" were included
therein. These facts indicate that the land and sea areas of Nansei
Shoto are internationally recognized as one of the most important
regions in the world from the conservational point of view.
     Accordingly, WWF Japan, giving high priority to this region, has
launched a number of conservation projects, such as conservation of
coral reef off Shiraho Beach of Ishigaki-jima island, Yanbaru forests
of Okinawa Island, protecton of Iriomote cats and other endemic
species, etc. It should be noted that H.R.H. the Duke of Edinburgh,
the present Honorary President of WWF International, visited this
region in person three times: Amami Ohima Island in 1984, Ishigaki-
jima island in 1992; and Okinawa Island in 1997.
    It is on these bases that we wish to submit our observation from
the conservational point of view on the proposed idea of constructing
a marine air base (a heliport on the sea) off the beach of Camp
Schwab at Henoko district of Nago city in Okinawa prefecture.
     In place of the present US military air base at Futenma on Okinawa
Is., which is to be returned for the land owners' disposal, the
Japanese Government is reportedly offering two alternative plans to
build an offshore military airfield in front of Camp Schwab; either a
soliid cay structure constructed on the piles driven deeply into the
seabed (A site); or a pontoon (B site). Considering its enormous size
of the structre of 1,500 metres in length and 600 metres in width,
which would accommodate 2,500 troops and 60 helicopters, it would
better be called a maritime air base rather than a substitute heliport.
Construction of such a big structure in the shore waters within a
coral reef area would certainly cause substantial impact on the
natural environment and the flora and fauna, both land and marine,
in the surrounding area.

1. Impact on coral reef:
     The Governmental plan proposed on 5 November, 1997, states that
the A site is located nearer to the shore than the coral reef, so
practically no corals are found there, and the B site is located on the
reefslope where live corals are found, but the actual place for
construction would not be selected in the part with corals coverage
of 50 percent or more, thus minimizing the impact on the corals.
     However, we must recall the fact that more than 90 percent of the
coral reefs surrounding Okinawa Is. was killed by land reclamation and
influx of red soil resulted from hasty land development works. To
start another construction work in the vulnerable marine ecosystem,
especially in the vicinity of Camp Swab where early recovery of the
coral reef is expected, means to nip the bud of recovery. Furthermore,
a marine air-base with the area of 90 hectares would substantially
block the sun light to reach the depth, and the recovery of marine
bio-diversity would become quite hopeless.

2. Impact on seagrass beds and dugongs:
     In the Government plan, it is stated that the seagrass beds found in
the proposed areas are common with other parts of the Okinawa
waters, and the grasses growing there would be transplanted to
suitable places as much as possible. But it is reported elsewhere
that dugongs were observed in the nearby waters.
     There are quite important findings in this matter. Dugong is one of
the endangered marine mammal species, and seagrass beds are
dugongs' important feeding places and so their essential habitat.
The Red Data Book of IUCN classifies dugong in the category of
critically endangered species among threatened animal species.
Dugongs are found in the tropical and sub-tropical waters of the
Indian Ocean and the Western Pacific, with the estimated population
of 100,000 in total. The waters of Nansei Shoto is the northern limit
of their distribution, and in this area dugong is regarded as in near
extinction. According to the Red Data Book published by the Japan
Mammalogist Society, dugong is classified in the "extinction-
feared" category with the estimated local population less than fifty
in the waters around Okinawa. The fact that the observation records
in the past were obtained mainly in the water east of the Okinawa
Island, especially around the proposed sites for the air-base
suggests that construction of the air-base in this area would present
a catastrophic threat to the Okinawa population of dugong which is
being threatened already.

3. Environmental pollution and effects of noises
     There may also be accidental pollution of the sea water in the
course of base management. Okinawa is situated in the general route
of typhoons, which may cause accidental spill of fuel or other oil.
Further, the big noises from the air base would constitute a
perpetual acoustic disturbance in the surrounding environment for a
long time. In and around the proposed sites, it is reported, there are
nine species either designated to national monuments or threatened
for extinction. Noises and other pollution originated in the proposed
air base, would undoubtedly affect such species.
     As mentioned above, it is obvious that construction of an air base
in the water off Camp Schwab beach would certainly give a damaging
effect to the marine and land environment there. It should be
emphasized that loss of habitat for dugongs, one of the
internationally recognized endangered mammal species, and the
harmful effects on the long-expected restoration of coral reefs in
that sea, would be a big setback in the process to achieve harmonious
co-existence of the Nature and Human being on the Earth. In this
regard, WWF Japan is of opinion that the Government plan has been
drawn upon inadequate field survey and loose assessment of the
possible adverse effect of the project.
     WWF Japan wishes, therefore, that the Government would rather
consider a conservation measures for the unique environment and
ecosystem of the sea area off Camp Schwab than a plan to build up a
substitute air base.

     WWF Japan wishes to request that the authorities concerned would
give a serious consideration to the above-mentioned views.

     Yours sincerely,

     Hisako Hatakeyama
     Chairperson
     WWF Japan

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