Oku residents protest their fishing port being used for Henoko construction material transport

November 13, 2017 Ryukyu Shimpo online edition

 

Past 7:30 a.m. on November 13, a large boat for use transporting gravel and stones over the ocean was docked at Oku Port in Kunigami Village.

This boat is taking the materials to Henoko, Nago City, for use in constructing a replacement facility for Marine Corps Air Station Futenma.

On November 13 at 7:53 a.m. at Oku Port in Kunigami Village, a large boat can be seen waiting at port for the purpose of transporting gravel and such materials over the ocean.


After 9:00 a.m. the same day, dump trucks loaded with gravel and similar materials arrived at Oku Port one after another.

Next, the trucks were seen being loaded onto the boats, and taken away over the water.

The residents of Oku Village gathered at the port to protest.

They said things such as: “This is a place for fishing,” and “Once one destroys nature, the damage is done.”

An 83-year-old woman from Oku said: “This port is a place of relaxation and refreshment, for everyone to come fish between time spent in the fields.

Oku residents gathered at Oku Port in Kunigami Village at 8:04 a.m. on November 13 to protest this use of the port.

 

I was taken aback when I first learned of this matter from the newspaper.

Without any warning we could no longer go fishing.”

 

A 73-year-old man added: “What will [the government] accomplish by angering the townsfolk?Regardless of whether we support or oppose the bases, everyone is going to become enraged. This is such a quiet place with but a single road, so we can no longer come and go freely while doing our farming.”

It was confirmed that around 8:30 p.m. the same night, dozens of dump trucks loaded with gravel were heading to Oku Port.

 

(English translation by T&CT and Erin Jones)

 

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