• もっと見る

Ocean Jigsaw Puzzle Pieces Series
- On the Front Lines of the Blue Economy:
A Focus on Building Oyster Farming Businesses [2019年11月29日(Fri)]

This blog post was originally uploaded in
Japanese to OPRI's blog
on 23 January 2019.

The blue economy has been one of the projects
advanced by the Ocean Policy Research Institute
of the Sasakawa Peace Foundation (OPRI-SPF)
over the last several years. At OPRI-SPF, the blue
economy means bringing a change of mentality
and technological innovation to bear in utilizing
marine ecosystems and social infrastructure
sustainably through the collected efforts of the
many stakeholders involved. The goal is to revitalize
target industries and services and thereby improve
people's quality of life.
With this blog, I would like to talk about the initiatives
of those working in the blue economy, which are
initiatives that differ from the research currently being
carried out by OPRI-SPF.

As I have also indicated in the above report, fisheries
industries that include farming are an important part
of the industries that make up the blue economy.
I have long been in close contact with a certain
fisheries cooperative in the city of Kainan in
Wakayama Prefecture. During a recent trip I took
through the city, I got a chance to see the work
being done at marine farms and retail shops.
It drove home just how important such farming
really is. As an effort to stimulate the local economy,
for the last several years the city has been building
up oyster farming in a bid to establish it as a key
feature of a new local industry suffering from
depopulation. Members of Kainan's fisheries
cooperatives and Wakayama Prefecture's Agriculture
and Fisheries Division visited oyster farms around
the country to conduct repeated field studies
along with farming experiments in the city's bay.
They then used what they learned to begin
full-fledged farming in the open sea in September
2018.



五條1.jpg
Oyster farm


五條2.jpg
Oysters waiting to be shipped



For oyster farming, Hiroshima Prefecture is renowned
as the largest market in Japan. It accounted for
60.2% of the 158,925 tons of total oysters farmed
domestically in 2018. Miyagi Prefecture came in
second at 12.0%, followed by third-place Okayama
Prefecture at 9.7%. Wakayama's 6 tons of oysters
put it in 24th place, or 0.0037% of total production.
Many are now watching to see what will happen
with marine product farming, a very unusual pursuit
that has never enjoyed mainstream publicity, and
it is now garnering attention nationwide through
TV and national newspaper coverage.

Some say, however, that Hiroshima Prefecture's rise
to the top of oyster farming began in Wakayama
Prefecture. It is said that Asano Nagaakira
(1586–1632), a feudal lord in the Edo period,
brought his oyster farming techniques with him
when he was made to relocate from the
Kii-wakayama Domain to the Aki-hiroshima Domain.
Even historically, then, we know that oyster farming
has been perfectly viable in Wakayama (and is,
indeed, being done now).

Here I have talked about what I found during a trip
to the area. In the future, I would like to share more
about these kinds of initiatives with everyone as a
person engaged in various research projects involving
ocean policy at OPRI-SPF, including the blue economy.
Here I have covered new marine farming initiatives
aimed at stimulating local economies. For more
information about these kinds of activities, keep an
eye out for publications such as the Ocean
Newsletter
, issued by OPRI-SPF.

Riho Gojo
Visiting Research Fellow

Posted by OPRI at 15:00 | この記事のURL | コメント(0)
Ocean Jigsaw Puzzle Pieces Series
- Trends in Natural Disasters: Vulnerability of
Small Island Developing Countries to Climate
Change and Natural Disasters
[2019年11月22日(Fri)]

This blog post was originally uploaded in
Japanese to OPRI's blog
on 23 January 2019.



“Disasters occur where ‘hazards’ meet ‘vulnerability’
in certain ‘places’ (exposure)”
(B. Wisner, P. Blaikie, T. Cannon, and I. Davis (1994))

What ultimately determines the scale of human
disaster, economic disaster, and environmental
disaster relies on the number of people available to
support victims and restrict damage expansion and
the extent of the capacity to recover from the
disaster. “Natural hazard” means a naturally occurring
physical phenomenon that is caused by an event that
rapidly or slowly attacks a range on the scale of the
solar system, Earth, regions, nations or areas,
due to meteorological, geological, or hydrological
factors. Disasters caused by such natural hazards
include earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, landslides,
tsunami, floods, and droughts, which can significantly
affect a society’s sustainability and economic and
social development.

Figures from EM-DAT, one of the largest natural
disaster databases in the world, show that from
2000 to 2018, approximately 200 million people
suffered because of disasters each year. Economic
losses due to natural disasters exceed $120 billion
on average each year, and these effects and their
victims and fatalities are mostly concentrated in
developing countries.


Fig 1 Michael-san.png
Fig.1 Fatalities from natural disasters
occurring in 2000–2018
(Click to enlarge)


Fig 2 Michael-san.png
Fig.2 Economic losses from natural disasters
occurring in 2000–2018
(Click to enlarge)


Since 2010, the number of fatalities from natural
disasters has been in decline (Fig. 1), but the
economic losses have tended upwards (Fig. 2).
The type of disaster that produces the greatest
number of fatalities is earthquakes and tsunami,
as exemplified by the 2004 Sumatra earthquake
and tsunami (250,000 people), the 2005 Pakistan
earthquake (70,000 people), the 2008 Sichuan
earthquake (80,000 people), the 2010 Haiti
earthquake (220,000 people), and the 2011
Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami (GEJE)
(15,000 people). On the other hand, the 2008
Sichuan earthquake (US$8.5 billion) and the
GEJE in 2011 (US$21 billion) were estimated as
causing larger economic losses, and natural
disasters due to climate change, tsunami or high
tides, and the like are having greater effect mainly
on economic losses. In particular, looking at human
and economic losses due to natural disasters since
1980, we can see that the highest rate of damage
has occurred since 2000. Further, the loss from
disasters due to climate change, tsunami and
high tides, and the like in 2017 reached US$29
billion, accounting for over 90% of the total for
natural disasters.


Fig 3 Michael-san.png
Fig.3 Natural disasters occurring in 2000–2018
(Click to enlarge)


So, looking at the number of disasters in Figure 3,
climate change, tsunami and high tide, and other
natural disasters have occurred frequently since
2000, with an average of approximately 300
events or more each year. With these natural
disasters, many years of development and growth
and efforts to build up towns and villages can
disappear in an instant. As human damage due to
meteorological disasters (such as typhoons and
storms), the cyclone that struck Myanmar in 2008
caused at least 150,000 fatalities. These kinds
of economic losses due to natural disasters in
Small Island Developing States (SIDS) account
for 8% of the GDP of each SIDS country, making
them an extremely serious issue compared to the
average of 0.12% globally and 0.01% in G7
countries. It is a fact that natural disasters are
certain to happen, but they are also a threat to
sustainable development. Natural disasters are not
someone else’s problem in any way. As can be seen
from the interruption to global supply chains after
the GEJE or the flooding in Thailand, they deeply
affect people’s lives and lifestyles.

According to an estimate on the effects of disaster
reduction that was reported at the World Bank
general meeting held in Japan in 2012, an
investment of $1 in disaster prevention efforts
could prevent $7 worth of damage. In other words,
disaster prevention is an effective investment that
produces a sevenfold benefit. Looking at [Figure 4],
natural disaster financing is expected to develop
particularly in SIDS. Because of this, efforts to
improve research capabilities in disaster assessment,
rescue and resilience are essential. In addition,
through sustainable development in such areas as
infrastructure and system reinforcement, science
and technology investment, and industry and
lifestyle, we can expect maximal use of the
knowledge and technologies of developed countries
to lead to efforts by international society and local
areas aimed at constructing a resilient society.

Fig 4 Michael-san.jpg
Fig.4 Comparison of disaster effects on
global average and in SIDS
(created by author from EM-DAT materials)
(Click to enlarge)


Among the three major elements of disaster risk,
stopping natural disasters (hazard) from occurring
and avoiding damage (exposure) are important,
but since large-scale relocation is infeasible, the
most realistic strategy is to reduce vulnerability.
In other words, it is necessary to develop capacity
that is resistant to disaster, and to promote scientific
and technical diplomacy along the lines of technology
that supports that.

Disasters are unavoidable, but it seems the best way
to reduce disaster risk is to promote a positive cycle
by investment in resilience as a whole and create a
society that can develop with sustainability, as well
as safety and security.


Michael C. Huang
Research Fellow


Posted by OPRI at 15:00 | この記事のURL | コメント(0)
Ocean Jigsaw Puzzle Piece Series -
Kuwait’s Social and Marine Environment [2019年11月15日(Fri)]

This blog post was originally uploaded in
Japanese to OPRI's blog
on 6 November 2019.

---

I recently went to Kuwait. What do you think of
when you hear Kuwait? For me, I knew little more
than such keywords as the Middle East,
the Persian Gulf, oil mining country and the setting
of the Gulf War. When I actually went there, I was
able to learn about and understand such things
as the Regional Organization for the Protection
of Marine Environment (ROPME)
, the Arabian
Gulf, foreign fishermen, seawater desalination and
Kuwait’s marine environment. Here I would like to
touch on these keywords as I explain a little about
the Kuwait social and marine environments.

Prior to the Opening of the Kuwait Oil Industry
(Relationship with Japan)

Kuwait is a small country located in the Middle East
(or West Asia), in the inner Persian Gulf (see map).
It has an exclusive economic zone (EEZ) which
extends about 11,000 km2. Prior to the production
of oil since 1938, Kuwait appeared to have flourishing
trade on the route for pilgrimage to Mecca, with many
nomads and a settled population of fishermen mostly
living on the coast who seemed to make their livings
collecting pearls and finishing. At this time, only
natural pearls were available, and the Kuwait coast
dominated the pearl market, with successful pearl
farming by Kokichi Mikimoto of Mikimoto fame,
believed to have devastated this Kuwait pearl
industry.
Being no longer able to be supported with pearls,
Kuwait consequently permitted foreign capital
companies to drill for oil and then discovered large
oil fields.
I was surprised to learn that unknowingly Japanese
technological developments came to have an indirect
but great impact on this far away country.


図表_ENG.png
Location of Kuwait and its EEZ (Red area)


Dramatic Changes to the Kuwait Living and
Natural Environments with Oil

The Burgan oil field was discovered in Kuwait,
which was said to boast the world’s second largest
crude oil reserves, and oil drilling began in earnest
in the late 1940s. This brought about a transition to a
monoculture exclusively relying on the oil industry,
and many foreign workers flowed into Kuwait.
Today, more than four million people live in Kuwait,
but Kuwaitis make up less than 1/3 of this number.
Precise statistics about the population prior to the
establishment of the oil industry could not be found,
but it appears that it may have been about 1/10 of
the current size. The majority of Kuwaitis are
government officials, and most other work is done
by foreign workers.
For example, apparently about 3,000 to 8,000 tons
of seafood is landed in Kuwait every year, but these
fishing activities are carried out by migrant workers
such as Bangladeshis, Indians, Egyptians and
Iranians.


渡邉2.jpg
Modern cityscape and harbor
Fishing boats are owned by Kuwaitis,
but most are manned by migrant fishermen.


渡邉3.jpg
A fish market
A grouper fish called Hamoor is commonly eaten.


So how is fresh water obtained in Kuwait,
with all of these many people now living there?
I did not know this until I actually went there,
but there are no rivers in Kuwait. Most fresh water is
produced by the desalination of seawater.
There are six desalination plants in operation in
Kuwait, and these are all adjacent to thermal
power plants which provide the heat. I heard that
some coastal areas which received the drain-off
from such plants have a super high salt content
of 60 (nearly twice the salinity of normal seawater).

In addition to these domestic issues, the reduced
flows from the Tigris and Euphrates rivers which
pour into the inner Persian Gulf have also cast a
large shadow over the marine environments of
Kuwait and the Persian Gulf. Dams constructed
upstream on the Tigris and Euphrates rivers in
Turkey and Syria are said to have partly
contributed to the decrease in flow. Water use in
the basin, such as for irrigation, is also said to be a
cause of the decrease in flow. Where the salinity of
the Kuwait sea area would previously decline to
around 30 in the season where flows from snow
melts would arrive, this decrease in river flow has
been reported to have kept the salinity of the Kuwait
sea area to over 40.

Regional Framework for Environmental Protection
and Gulf Designation

Up to this point in this post, we have used the term
“Persian Gulf,” but in fact the designation of this area
as a gulf has been a delicate issue. The Regional
Organization for the Protection of Marine Environment
(ROPME), which is headquartered in Kuwait, has eight
member countries: Bahrain, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait,
Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and United Arab
Emirates. All of the Arab countries, excepting Iran,
use the name Arabian Gulf. However, in Iran they
use the name Persian Gulf, and this is also the
name which has been adopted by the United Nations.
So, among ROPME member countries, the area
from the Persian Gulf through the Strait of Hormuz,
to the southern bank of Oman where it leaves the
Oman Gulf, is known as the ROPME Sea Area, or
RSA for short.

渡邉4.png
Inside of the Strait of Hormuz is defined
as the Inner RSA,
outside is the Middle RSA
and the south coast of Oman is the Outer RSA
Source: ROPME (2013)
*Click to Enlarge


Towards the Creation of a Rich Coastal
Environment

As mentioned above, the salinity of seawater in
Kuwait no longer falls, and sometimes in the summer,
where the maximum temperature can exceed
40°C, or even 50°C, the water temperature has
also been known to reach close to 35°C.
More particularly, the shallow tidal flats can easily
be expected to be exposed to severe hot salt
environments in the summer. At the local Kuwait
Institute for Scientific Research (KISR)
,
there has been an increasing movement to grow
seaweeds to these tidal flats and in the shallow
waters, creating seaweed beds there.
In order to get such activities on track, there is a
need not only to ensure that the load on these
coastal waters does not increase, but also for public
awareness activities to encourage local communities
to take such action. It is particularly important to
involve children, who will lead the next generation.

渡邉5.JPG
A type of seaweed (Halodule uninervis)
found in the tidal flats
Only very short types of seaweed were found,
perhaps because of the timing of after the
harsh summer months.


渡邉6.JPG
A type of seaweed (Sargassum spp.)
found at a depth of about 5m


Once a year in Kuwait, where the pearl industry
once flourished, a Pearl Diving Festival is held.
Participants from Bahrain and UAE also join in the
event. Based on such interest among citizens in
the sea in surrounding countries, I am sure that
success will begin to be seen through wide-spread
activities aimed at sustainable sea use for young
generations.
Many issues seem to remain, but I am currently
looking at a variety of different areas where we may
be able to make contributions to these activities in
the Arabian Gulf, with their social and natural
environments which are so different from any of
the countries that I have experienced in the past.


Atsushi Watanabe
Senior Research Fellow


References
1) Faiza Al-Yamani, Takahiro Yamamoto,
Turki Al-Said, Aws Alghunaim (2017)
Dynamic hydrographic variations in northwestern
Arabian Gulf over the past three decades:
Temporal shifts and trends derived from long-term
monitoring data. Marine Pollution Bulletin
122 : 488–499.
2) ROPME (2013). State of the Marine Environment
Report- 2013. ROPME/GC-16 /1-ii Regional
Organization for the Protection of the Marine
Environment, Kuwait, 225 p.

Posted by OPRI at 15:00 | この記事のURL | コメント(0)
Ocean Jigsaw Puzzle Piece Series - Use of the Ocean and the Right to Operate Fisheries [2019年05月22日(Wed)]

This blog post was originally uploaded in
Japanese to OPRI's blog
on October 31, 2018.

---

On October 24, 2018, the Kagoshima District Court
made a decision on a dispute in connection with the
development of Mageshima Island in Kagoshima
Prefecture, the proposed relocation site for Field
Carrier Landing Practice (FCLP) of U.S. carrier-based
aircraft. According to a news report, fishermen filed
lawsuits alleging that sand and soil ran into the
ocean due to deforestation of Mageshima Island and
damaged their rights to operate fisheries. They
requested that the prefecture order the development
company to restore the fishing grounds, but the
Kagoshima District Court dismissed the plaintiff’s
claim (Nishinippon Shimbun [October 24, 2018]).

This short essay uses the term, “right to operate
fisheries” to mean an individual right to conduct
fishing activities to make a living. On the other hand,
the term “fishing right” is generally understood in
Japan under the Fisheries Act as the right of a
Fisheries Cooperative Association to allow members
to operate fisheries within its boundaries. However,
internationally, there are cases in which the right is
not given per sea area but per type of fish to
individual fishing boats to catch a certain amount of
fish. (This system is also used in Japan for certain
types of fish.) There is a view that the right to
operate fisheries falls under the category of human
rights under the Japanese constitution and under
international law as freedom of occupation choice.
What was alleged by the plaintiff in the above lawsuit
in connection with the development of Mageshima
Island was violation of the right to operate fisheries,
which each fisherman should have under the Forest
Act. (They alleged that the Forest Act should
guarantee the property rights of the residents who
live near the development area if there is an outflow
of sand and soil, landslides or natural disasters such
as floods due to forestry development.) The right to
operate fisheries of an individual can be protected,
directly or indirectly through various laws under the
Japanese legal system.

Regarding ocean use, when problems arise in
connection with the right to operate fisheries, they
can be due to large-scale development activities as
in the case of Mageshima Island or between
fishermen or between fishermen and their Fisheries
Cooperative Association. In Japan, there is a famous
case titled “Beach Riot Lawsuit” (Hama-no-ikki-
sosho), in which permission granted by the
administration of Iwate Prefecture became a problem
when they allowed fixed-net salmon fishing only to
the members of Fisheries Cooperative Associations
and influential individuals living in a coastal area and
did not allow small-scale fishermen to catch salmon.
The UN Human Rights Committee decided that
Iceland’s unfair allocation of individual transferable
quotas (ITQs)−a transferrable right to catch a
certain amount of fish−is a violation of the non-
discrimination principle stipulated in Article 26 of the
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
The judgment of the latter in particular includes
points which should be considered in Japan, where
the introduction of ITQs have in recent years been
the subject of much discussion.

Professor Kase, of Teikyo University, a specialist in
Fishery Economics, pointed out that the “two-
dimensional adjustment” is important in relation to
the use of the ocean. There can be a situation such
that, “if there is a fishing net attached to the sea
floor, called sashiami, you cannot use a trawl net in
that area. You have permission to catch fish with a
trawl net, but if someone else has permission to use
sashiami in the same area, you are not allowed to
operate fisheries in the area.” As mentioned above,
as the entities which exercise specific fishing rights
under the Fisheries Act, Fisheries Cooperative
Associations control their members’ use of such
rights. They also conduct negotiations with the
government and companies specializing in farming
and renewable energy. The expansion of fishing
rights is currently under review, but if it does
happen, there is a possibility that maintaining order
regarding the use of coastal areas could become
more difficult. Fisheries Cooperative Associations
need to continue to work as controllers of the use of
the ocean. On the other hand, recent cases suggest
the importance of considering ways to protect the
right to operate fisheries of individual fishermen,
together with the fishing rights of Fisheries
Cooperative Associations, as these rights are not
protected by ownership, unlike agricultural farmers.
This is also a task for achieving the SDG14 (14.b)
goal
, to "provide access for small-scale artisanal
fishers to marine resources and markets."

Murakami 1.jpg
An offshore wind turbine operating along Fukuejima
Island in Nagasaki Prefecture.
It also functions as an active fishing location.
(Source: Goto City Hall)

Yuhei Murakami,
Research Fellow

Posted by OPRI at 15:00 | この記事のURL | コメント(0)
Latest news - Courtesy Visit by H.E. Ms. Lilja Alfreðsdóttir, Minister of Education, Science and Culture of Iceland [2019年05月20日(Mon)]

President Atsushi Sunami of the Ocean Policy
Research Institute of the Sasakawa Peace
Foundation (OPRI-SPF) received a courtesy visit from
H.E. Ms. Lilja Alfreðsdóttir, Minister of Education,
Science and Culture of Iceland, on May 15, 2019.

In the discussions, the two sides recognized the
importance of promoting cooperation for Arctic
policy and scientific research that reflects the
strengths of Japan and Iceland, and exchanged
information regarding the Arctic Science Ministerial
Meeting and Arctic Circle Regional Forum expected
to be held in Japan in 2020, discussing future plans
for these meetings. Furthermore, both sides shared
the view to continue close relations between
OPRI-SPF and Iceland regarding Arctic policy
research.

OPRI-SPF will continue its research activities on the
Arctic region in an effort to contribute to the further
advancement of Japan’s Arctic policies.

Iceland 5.15 1.png
H.E. Ms. Lilja Alfreðsdóttir, Minister of Education,
Science and Culture of Iceland (center)

Iceland 5.15 2.png
View of the discussions

Iceland 5.15 3.png
OPRI-SPF President Atsushi Sunami (left) and
H.E. Ms. Lilja Alfreðsdóttir, Minister of Education,
Science and Culture of Iceland

For more information on OPRI-SPF's research
activities regarding the Arctic region, please
see here.

Posted by OPRI at 14:00 | この記事のURL | コメント(0)
Latest news - OPRI-SPF Participates in the Arctic Circle China Forum [2019年05月16日(Thu)]

President Atsushi Sunami and researchers from the
Ocean Policy Research Institute of the Sasakawa
Peace Foundation (OPRI-SPF) participated in the
Arctic Circle China Forum held in Shanghai, China,
from May 10-11, 2019.

For more information, please access the article
from the below link.

OPRI-SPF Participates in the Arctic Circle
China Forum


Arctic Circle 2.jpg
OPRI-SPF President Atsushi Sunami delivers a
speech titled "Japan's Contributions to the
Sustainable Development of the Arctic and OPRI's
Relevant Efforts" during the "Arctic Science and
Innovation" plenary session of the Arctic Circle
China Forum

Posted by OPRI at 10:00 | この記事のURL | コメント(0)
Ocean Jigsaw Puzzle Piece Series - Establishing a Sea Grant Project in Japan (2) [2019年04月24日(Wed)]

This blog post was originally uploaded in
Japanese to OPRI's blog
on September 26, 2018.

---

Following my last article, here I would like to
continue to discuss whether we can establish a
similar program in Japan to the Sea Grant Programs
implemented in the United States, while introducing
the proposal created by the Japan Society of Ocean
Policy’s Research Group, “Toward the Revitalization
of Coastal Regions through the Use of an Ocean
Policy Approach” (led by Jota Kanda, professor of
Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology;
the author is also a member) in June 2018.

1. Sea Grant Programs in the United States
In my last article, I introduced an outline of
programs called “Sea Grants.” Sea Grant Programs
(SGPs) have been implemented by universities for
more than fifty years in the coastal communities of
the United States. In order to see how they are
doing, I attended the Sea Grant Week held in
Portland, Oregon this month (September 2018), a
biannual meeting for scientists who are involved
with SGPs in various locations of the U.S.

I attended the opening ceremony on 18 September
and the meeting the day before. The power created
by the programs, which have been in place for more
than fifty years, was palpable. There are many
scientists specializing in ocean studies in universities
of the various states, and they are all working
together with passion to solve local ocean and
coastal issues using SGPs. A network which
connects activities in each state is functioning well.
I realized that it would not be easy to accomplish
something comparable over a short span of time.

Looking into the details of their activities, I found
that matters such as obtaining marine observation
data for fisheries, technological development of
farming and research of coastal disaster prevention
are conducted under SGPs in the U.S. In Japan,
similar activities are basically funded and
implemented at the government level. This means
that within SGPs, a system focused on functions
which do not require large budgets −such as
establishing a network to share know-how of each
area, revitalizing regions by collaborating with local
industries or promoting regional ocean education−
might also be possible in Japan.

角田1.png
Opening ceremony of Sea Grant Week
(photographed by the author)

2. Extending Sea Grants to Coastal Areas in Japan
The research group at the Japan Society of Ocean
Policy(JSOP) began a review in 2016 to see
whether we could establish a similar program in
Japan to the Sea Grant Programs implemented in
the United States. The group reviewed trends
within and outside Japan and the willingness of
Japanese universities and research institutions to
assist with such a program. They also conducted
a presentation at the JSOP’s annual conference in
December 2017. Moreover, the group formulated
the “Proposals on the Revitalization of Coastal
Areas using Experience in Marine Science” in June
2018, which aims to initiate a new science-based
industry-academia-government-private citizen
collaboration.

The most difficult part of the proposals was how
to logically explain the reason for “why we need
a system specifically for ocean and coastal areas.”
We summarized the needs and characteristics as
follows:

Diversifying needs:
Fisheries, offshore wind turbines, tourism and
leisure
Disaster prevention, environmental conservation
and restoration,
effects of global warming, countermeasures for
suspicious ships, etc.

Depopulation and aging: Deterioration of coastal
management,
remote islands becoming uninhabited, etc.

Labor required and difficulties:
Specific knowledge of ocean and coastal areas,
infrastructure such as ships and ports,
vertical division of universities and local public
organizations

The proposals pointed out that optimized
management with the collaboration and
comprehensive coordination between different
entities would be required in ocean and coastal
areas and that the participation of universities on
an organizational level could be a useful way to
solve these issues, as new needs for
countermeasures are being created.
The proposals also pointed out that there are
ideas to overcome difficulties in solving issues in
ocean and coastal areas, with examples such as
Shima City’s “New Sato-umi Creation Plan” where
academia played a central role and accumulated
science-based evidence and achieved cooperative
activities between the government and private
citizens.

Based on these, as specific matters necessary to
be implemented, the proposals suggest the
following three items:

(1) Implementation of pilot projects
Universities and research institutions should play
a central role in solving issues within ocean and
coastal areas by applying a science-based
approach. Cooperation with the relevant entities
within communities should be promoted.

(2) Establishment of liaison offices
These offices should serve as operation centers
with goals to link each regional activity, share
know-how, experience and information and
develop human resources. The offices should
strive to introduce successful cases to be
implemented nationwide.

(3) International collaboration and contribution
Japan should share its experience and support
sustainable development of the Asia-Pacific
region.

The proposals can be downloaded from the
Japan Society of Ocean Policy’s website.
Please read through them if you are interested.
With the cooperation of the members of the
research group, we created an English version
of the proposals (listed below). We handed out
the English version to the participants at the
“Sea Grant Association Meeting” held on
September 17, the day before the opening
ceremony of Sea Grant Week. We also
conducted a presentation on the content of
the proposals.

Maintenance of the economic bases and creation
of added values of ocean and coastal areas,
which were recommended in the proposals,
will contribute to the promotion of a Third Basic
Plan on Ocean Policy and the Sustainable
Developmental Goals (SDGs). We aim to
continue these activities in order to achieve a
new science-based industry-academia-
government-private citizen collaboration.


角田2.png
JSOP Proposals (Front cover of the English version)
※Please click the photo to download the
English version.

Tomohiko Tsunoda
Senior Research Fellow

Posted by OPRI at 15:00 | この記事のURL | コメント(0)
Ocean Jigsaw Puzzle Piece Series - Ocean Education at Hachijojima Island of the Izu Islands and Chichijima Island of the Ogasawara Islands [2019年03月27日(Wed)]

This blog post was originally uploaded in
Japanese to OPRI's blog
on September 20, 2018.

---

The Ocean Policy Research Institute of the Sasakawa
Peace Foundation (OPRI-SPF) has been conducting
the “Ocean Education Pioneer School Program,” and
Hachijo Senior High School and Ogasawara Senior
High School, both belonging to the Tokyo
Metropolitan Government Board of Education, are
back to participate in the Regional Development
Section this year. The schools have continued to
keep in touch and organized the “Islands’ Senior
High School Students Summit.” Seven schools from
Izu and Ogasawara Islands participated in the
summit. (I wrote about last year’s summit in my
article, “Ocean Jigsaw Puzzle Piece No. 41,” in
Japanese.) I visited Hachijojima Island and
Chichijima Island between June 21 and 27, 2018,
and interviewed various individuals to get their
opinions about ocean education.

People who had moved to Ogasawara to help
develop the islands from Hachijojima Island were
forced to move back to Hachijojima during World
War II (as mentioned in “Ocean Jigsaw Puzzle Piece
No. 95,” in Japanese). Therefore, an Ogasawara
Goodwill Visit Group is formed each year, and the
group visits Chichijima on board the
Ogasawaramaru. The ship comes to Hachijojima on
June 26, the anniversary of the return to Ogasawara
Islands. Using this occasion, a meeting was planned
between Hachijo Senior High School and Ogasawara
High School, and I joined the group. There is no
direct route between the islands, so it was the only
opportunity to visit both islands from Tokyo. In
addition, this was the 50th anniversary of the return
of the Ogasawara Islands, and I heard that various
events were going to be held on Chichijima Island.
I was very excited!

When I touched down at Hachijojima Island by
plane, I was welcomed by thick clouds and strong
winds. Washed by the Kuroshio Warm Current,
Hachijojima is well-known for strong winds and
frequent rainfalls throughout the year. On the
gourd-shaped island, there are two towering
volcanoes, Hachijo-Fuji on the north end and
Miharayama on the south end. The airport is
located in the valley between the volcanoes, and
fog can easily develop. There are three flights
per day, but the airport is famous for its high
cancellation rates.

At Hachijo Senior High School, a unit to study
ocean-related geography and culture is
integrated into the curriculum for both full-time
and part-time courses. Not many senior high
schools offer “Oceanography” in part-time
coursesbecause students have limited time in
the evenings. In the optional classes for full-time
coursework, all students were studying to obtain
scuba diving licenses. The results of their studies
could be clearly seen in their research on turtles.
The school accepts students from outside the
island. Local students are motivated by a student
who came from Nerima Ward, Tokyo, to study
agriculture.

中村1.png
View from the Osaka Tunnel Lookout located on the
southwestern side of Hachijojima,
looking toward Hachijo-Fuji and smaller islands

中村2.png
Uramigataki Waterfall

Hachijojima Island entered a sister city agreement
with Maui County, Hawaii in 1964. The island is
receiving a lot of attention for their promotion of
senior high school and university cooperation in
ocean education. For both islands, keeping their
fading local languages (a Hachijo dialect and the
Hawaiian language) and traditional culture from
disappearing isa common issue. The Share Heart
Islander Program (SHIP) is a program in Hawaii for
senior high school students from the Izu Islands to
learn and discuss countermeasures to prevent the
loss of culture and language. The program is very
interesting. Short-term study visits are included in
this program, and part of the cost is offset by
crowdfunding among residents of Hachijojima.

In Hawaii, the building of “Nāmāhoe,” a sister
canoe of the outrigger canoe “Hōkūleʻa,” was
completed in September 2016. It is an additional
canoe which can be used for worldwide voyages.
The Hawaiians are negotiating with relevant
individuals to visit Hachijojima during its world
voyage. Remnants of outrigger canoes brought by
immigrants from Hawaii to Ogasawara during
Japan’s isolationism period can be seen in the
Ogasawara Islands and Hachijojima today.
They are half-Japanese, half-Hawaiian outrigger-
style fishing boats (oar-rowing outrigger canoes
on Hachijojima) (*). The visit by Nāmāhoe seems
to be taking a lot longer to organize due to lack
of funding, but we can see the possibility for ocean
education to be connected by the Pacific Ocean
beyond national borders.

中村3.png
Sailing canoe at Chichijima Visitor Center

Two student representatives from Hachijojima Senior
High School and a student from Hawaii joined the
Ogasawara Goodwill Visit Group with their teacher.
They boarded the Ogasawaramaru when it reached
Sokodo Port in the evening. It was a sixteen hour
trip to Chichijima, 700 kilometers south of
Hachijojima. However, the third Ogasawaramaru,
which was launched in 2016, was a large 10,000-
ton ferry, so the inside of the ship was quite
spacious and comfortable. The group members all
gathered on the deck at 8:30 the following morning
and had a memorial service for Seiryumaru
passengers on the ocean near Mukojima, of the
Ogasawara Islands. Mourning the death of the
passengers who died in 1944 by a torpedo attack
during their evacuation, we threw white
chrysanthemums into the water. It was impressive
seeing the flowers floating on the ocean waves
reflecting the beautiful morning sun.

中村4.png
These individuals joined us on Ogasawaramaru
Ship at Sokodo Port

中村5.png
A memorial service for Seiryumaru passengers

Students and teachers from Ogasawara Senior High
School warmly welcomed us at Futami Port on
Chichijima Island. They showed us around the island
and introduced Ogasawara’s nature and culture.
We observed some classes at their school, and I met
their Biology teacher. I went snorkeling along the
coast and saw coral reefs. The Ogasawara Islands
are registered as a world heritage site and are truly
a natural treasure. Many endemic species of plants
and animals live there, so there are many species
which could be subjects for ecosystem surveys.
At Ogasawara Senior High School, students are
conducting research on black sea snails
(Semisulcospira boninensis), which live in rivers.
I learned that the distance to the tidelands −which
have become scarce now− and the ocean coral from
the school are similar, but the ocean has more
challenging factors to surmount (such as climate,
times of high and low tides and changing seasons)
when including it as a classroom subject. In physical
education classes, there are opportunities to practice
wind surfing and study outrigger canoes. On the
other hand, Hachijojima has no sandy beaches, so
students are unable to enjoy marine sports, including
canoeing.

中村6.jpg
We received a warm welcome at Futami Port.

中村7.png
Minamijima, an uninhibited island with
submerged karst topography

Due to steep topography, the coral reefs of the
Ogasawara Islands are not spread out and instead
grow in a narrow strip along the coastline.
Therefore, these reefs are not amenable to diving
and do not attract diving enthusiasts. However,
compared to the coral bleaching seen in the
Yaeyama Islands, Okinawa, the coral reefs of the
Ogasawara Islands are still quite healthy due to
stable water temperatures and water quality. I heard
that this is largely thanks to the government, which
established sewage treatment facilities on the edge
of Chichijima Island immediately after the
Ogasawara Islands were returned to Japan from the
United States.In ocean education, coral reefs are
typically only mentioned in correlation to the topic of
beachcombing. Therefore, I suggested observation
of the sand grains (the sand there contains coral
gravel and sea urchin spines) and research of the
growth speed or degree of coverage of coral reefs
as achievable themes.

中村8.png
Colonies of branch-shaped coral (Acropora formosa)
under the red lighthouse

中村9.jpg
Scleractinian coral at Miyanohama Beach

2018 marks the 50th anniversary of the return of the
Ogasawara Islands to Japan following U.S.
occupation, and a large ceremony was held on
Chichijima Island. Compared to Hachijojima Island,
the history and culture −such as the Nanyo-Odori
dance− of the Ogasawara Islands is relatively new.
The number of young people moving onto the
islands seems to have been increasing. The
Ogasawara Islands look like a peaceful paradise
now, but the islands were utilized to protect Japan’s
mainland during the Pacific War. On Mt. Yoakeyama
of Chichijima Island, there is a military
communication facility which still remains intact.
The undersea cable, which used to connect to
Saipan before the Pacific War, was cut and still lies
under the sandy Miyanohara Beach alongside
beautiful coral reefs, and remains as proof that the
war actually happened here.

Although the Ogasawara Islands are located within
Japan’s national borders, like Okinawa, they have
gone through a very different post-war history.
Infrastructures on these islands have been well
developed due to funding from Metropolitan Tokyo.
Despite the fact that there are beautiful white sandy
beaches here, these remote islands do have issues.
There have been ongoing arguments over airfield
construction. As there is a high possibility of the
islands being greatly affected by typhoons and
climate change, I predict that exchanges between
senior high school students living on remote islands
like this one will strengthen connections among the
islands and be very useful in the future.


Nobuko Nakamura

Research Fellow,
Policy Research Department

【Reference Material】
*Akira, Goto. Technological Interaction of Traditional
Boat Building in the Circum-Pacific Area−Outrigger
Fishing Boats on the Bonin Islands and the Hachijo-
jima Island, Annual Report−International Center for
Folk Culture Studies, Kanagawa University 2010,
1: 75-82

Posted by OPRI at 15:00 | この記事のURL | コメント(0)
Ocean Jigsaw Puzzle Piece Series - Is the Indian Ocean a Sea of Reincarnation? [2019年03月06日(Wed)]

This blog post was originally uploaded in
Japanese to OPRI's blog
on May 9, 2018.

---

Of the sea lanes, or main arteries which support
today’s global economy, the one that goes through
the Indian Ocean is becoming center stage for global
politics, economics, and security. One of the pillars of
Japanese diplomacy, the “Free and Open Indo-Pacific
Vision,” is a strategy to connect the Indian Ocean
and the Asia-Pacific regions. What kind of image
should Japan and the global society create for the
Indian Ocean moving forward? Before discussing
this, it is necessary to look back over the history of
the relationship between human beings and the
Indian Ocean.

Early in history, merchants from Nanyue, Dravida
and Arabia began freely traveling through the Indian
Ocean and essentially created a cosmopolitan world
there. After the great expeditions to the Southern
Sea, led by Zheng He as a state project of China’s
Ming Dynasty, a sea lane was created. When land
travel between East and the West was blocked due
to the rise of the Ottoman Turks, the Age of
Navigation began with Spain and Portugal as the
leading pioneers.

When the navy of the Ottoman Turks was destroyed
at the Battle of Lepanto, naval ships from the
Christian world began traveling out of the
Mediterranean Sea to accompany merchant fleets.
The sea powers which succeeded in securing the
sea lane and a beachhead toward overseas markets
began to reign supreme over the Indian Ocean.
After that, the Indian Ocean became a crucial
location which continued to serve as a sea lane for
the sea powers −Portugal, Holland and Britain− to
utilize in order to obtain colonies and markets in
South Asia and East Asia. After World War I began,
the Indian Ocean became a central location where
great nations contended with each other for
military superiority. This lasted until the post-World
War II period and the Cold War era following that.

Looked at from a classic geopolitical perspective, the
Indian Ocean was a “cosmopolitan ocean,” possibly
from prehistoric times. Then it became an “ocean
targeted by land-power nations” (such as the Ming
Dynasty) in the beginning of the 15th Century.
Half a century later came the Age of Navigation, and
it changed to an “ocean targeted by sea powers.”
The Indian Ocean continued its paradigm shifts to
become an “ocean of military conflict” during the era
of World War I, World War II, and the Cold War.

Since the Cold War and the globalization of economic
activities, the Indian Ocean has become the center
stage of economic activities by various countries and
non-state actors − from both inside and outside the
Indian Ocean. However, a system or regime to
regulate the utilization of the Indian Ocean has not
necessarily been established. In regard to security,
“power vacuums” exist in the vast Indian Ocean.
Therefore, it is more appropriate to call the Indian
Ocean “chaotic” than “free,” “fluid” than “vibrant.”

Currently, China is actively advancing toward the
Indian Ocean based on its Belt and Road Initiative
(BRI), causing concern that the security environment
may become unstable with this shift of power.
Although the aim of the BRI is to spur global
economic activities, instead of expanding China’s
military influence in the world, if a new country joins
an economic arena in order to obtain economic
benefits where certain countries have already been
receiving benefits, this may create conflict. Japan
has established a “Free and Open Indo-Pacific”
strategy, and the United States of America, India
and Australia have expressed interest in cooperating
with this strategy.

From my perspective, the Indian Ocean currently
seems to be a place where a “cosmopolitan ocean,”
an “ocean targeted by land-powers,” and an “ocean
targeted by sea powers” are all mixed into one.
Looking back over the lessons of history, should we
expect an “ocean of military conflict” to come next?

Although protectionist sentiment can be seen in
some countries, there is no sign of a decrease in the
globalization of economic activities or the creation of
a global society without borders. The same thing is
occurring in ocean space. All oceans −the Pacific,
the Atlantic and the Indian Ocean− are closely
linked, and it is time to consider the space they
create one unified body called a global ocean.
If the Arctic sea ice continues to melt and year-round
navigation becomes a reality, a route which goes
around the Eurasian Continent would be open.
Non-stop routes which cover all oceans on earth
would no longer be just a dream.

KA1.jpg
Evaluations of the relationship of the Indian Ocean
and other oceans of the world by historic individuals
(Famous quotes)

This means that what is happening in the Indian
Ocean affects all other oceans on earth. If the
Indian Ocean becomes an “ocean of military
conflict,” the safety of all oceans on earth could be
jeopardized. Therefore, the Indian Ocean should
not just be considered an expanse of water limited
to that region. Human society should create a
paradigm of wide utilization of the Indian Ocean as
the axis for all of the oceans in the world. I think
that this might serve as an approach to prevent
the Indian Ocean once again becoming an “ocean
of military conflict.”

However, if you ask me whether or not I have
specific countermeasures, I cannot give you an
answer yet. However, an international effort to
establish universal rules to control usage of the
Indian Ocean is necessary. Therefore, Japan’s
“Free and Open Indo-Pacific Vision” should not
aim to compete with the BRI. The strategy
should show the value of human rights/
democracy/free trade, the attractiveness of
developing a high-quality infrastructure and
reliable investments, as well as the importance
of compliance with the International Law of the
Sea.

The Ocean Policy Research Institute of the
Sasakawa Peace Foundation (OPRI-SPF)

conducts a wide variety of research, taking the
view of the world’s oceans, including the Indian
Ocean, as a unified body of water. We think it is
important to look back through history. History
does not flow but accumulates. People say that
history repeats itself, but history does not repeat
itself. History is always present and affects what
we do next. I see this with the China-Japan and
Korea-Japan relationships.

What kind of picture should we or can we create
for the future of the Indian Ocean? To come up
with an answer, it is crucial to analyze in detail
the paradigm shifts that have already occurred
in the area.

Kazumine Akimoto
Senior Research Fellow

Posted by OPRI at 15:00 | この記事のURL | コメント(0)
"Ocean Newsletter Selected Papers No.23" Now Available [2019年02月21日(Thu)]

The Ocean Policy Research Institute of the
Sasakawa Peace Foundation (OPRI-SPF)

publishes a Japanese-language newsletter called
the "Ocean Newsletter" twice a month.
The "Ocean Newsletter" seeks to provide people of
diverse viewpoints and backgrounds with a forum
for discussion and to contribute to the formulation
of maritime policies conducive to coexistence
between mankind and the ocean.

The "Ocean Newsletter Selected Papers" contains
English-language versions of papers from the
Japanese Newsletter edition. It is our sincere hope
that these Selected Papers will provide useful
insights on policy debate in Japan and help to foster
global policy dialogue on various ocean issues.

Please click here to access "Ocean Newsletter
Selected Papers No.23," the latest in the series,
containing works published between No.411
(September 20, 2017) and No.430 (July 5, 2018)
in the Japanese edition.

No.23.PNG


Selected Papers.PNG
A preview of "Ocean Newsletter
Selected Papers No.23"


-Contents-

Discussion: Innovation to Overcome the Dangers
Facing Our Oceans
Yohei Sasakawa
Chairman, The Nippon Foundation
Atsushi Sunami
President, Ocean Policy Research Institute of the
Sasakawa Peace Foundation (OPRI-SPF) /
Executive Director, The Sasakawa Peace Foundation

CCS Demonstration Project Offshore Tomakomai
Yutaka Tanaka
General Manager, Technology and Planning
Department, Japan CCS Co., Ltd.

The Fire of Rice Sheaves and its Connection to World
Tsunami Awareness Day
Koichi Sakiyama
Director, Inamura-no-Hi no Yakata

Ama Divers are Incredible!
Yoshikata Ishihara
Director, Toba Sea-Folk Museum

Hosting of the Coast Guard Global Summit (CGGS)
−Towards the Maintenance of International Maritime
Order−
Kentaro Furuya
Associate Professor (joint appointment),
National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies
(GRIPS) / Japan Coast Guard Academy

What Recovery Means for Us −Thoughts Following
Production of the Film “Fukushima Fishermen”−
Toru Yamada
Film Director

The United Nations University's “Noto Satoumi
Movement” −Connecting Japan's Coastal
Management to Global Ocean Problems−
Evonne Yiu
Research Associate, United Nations University
Institute for the Advanced Study of Sustainability
(UNU-IAS)

The Roadmap to Oceans and Climate Action
Initiative
Biliana Cicin-Sain
President, Global Ocean Forum (GOF) /
Professor, University of Delaware
Meredith Kurz
Formerly Assistant to the President of GOF

Drug Resistant Bacteria in our Oceans: Where did
they come from and where will they go?
Satoru Suzuki
Professor, Center for Marine Environmental Studies,
Ehime University

Guideline for Consensus Building Regarding Use of
the Oceans: Towards the Creation of “Marine
Spatial Planning”
Yutaka Michida
Professor, Atmosphere and Ocean Research
Institute,The University of Tokyo
Tatsuro Suwa
Project Associate Professor, Graduate School of
Public Policy, The University of Tokyo

Putting “Dreams and Spirit” into Shrimp Crackers
Toshio Mitsuda
President and Representative Director,
Keishindo Corporation

Posted by OPRI at 10:00 | この記事のURL | コメント(0)
Profile

OPRIさんの画像
Links
Think_now_english.jpg
Google