Okinawa governor may file suit if coral reef fracturing occurs without permission after April

Okinawa governor may file suit if coral reef fracturing occurs without permission after April

Okinawa governor Takeshi Onaga said, “we will consider filing a suspension against the construction after April” in response to the Okinawa Defense Bureau's decision to not apply to renew the permit for fracturing the reef.


March 16, 2017 Ryukyu Shimpo

Okinawa Governor Takeshi Onaga made comment on the permit for fracturing reef rock as part of base construction in Henoko on the morning of March 16. The permit for fracturing the reef will expire at the end of March, and the Okinawa Defense Bureau has informed that there will be no application made to renew the permit. The governor said “as Okinawa prefecture, we will consider any legal procedures including request for suspension of the operation if fracturing of the reef takes place without permission after April.” This is the first time for him to make comments about filing for a suspension.

The governor strongly criticized the bureau’s decision to make no application to renew the permit, “The latest case, Naha Airport, which follows the same process as the Henoko construction, made a renewal application. This decision by the bureau shows the country’s double standard, and it must not be allowed to happen.”

He also commented on the Fisheries Agency’s position which the bureau used as the justification for its decision, questioning the agency; “it is hard not to believe that the document prepared by the Fisheries Agency has been modified specifically for the Henoko case. The situation shows Japan is far from a law-abiding country, reflecting Japan’s hard-line approach.”

(English translation by T&CT and Sayaka Sakuma)

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