Ishigaki mayor stresses importance of Senkaku island survey as opposition voices protest

Ishigaki mayor stresses importance of Senkaku island survey as opposition voices protest

Ishigaki mayor Yoshitaka Nakayama (left) giving a press conference after his ocean survey around the Senkaku islands – February 1, Ishigaki City Hall


 

February 2, 2022 Ryukyu Shimpo

By Kenshiro Nishime

 

Ishigaki – Ishigaki mayor Yoshitaka Nakayama, who went to survey the Senkaku island chain on a boat with others including Tokai University professor Yoshihiko Yamada (marine affairs) on January 31, said at a press conference on February 1, “The area surrounding the Senkaku islands is under the city’s jurisdiction, however since we cannot usually approach the islands closely we took advantage of this opportunity.” In response, the city council’s opposition faction also held a press conference the same day, where they voiced their objections, stating, “We strongly object to this strong-armed unilateral inspection as a violation of international trust.”

 

The survey of the state of the ocean surrounding the city, which includes the Senkaku islands, was commissioned by Ishigaki City to be conducted by Tokai University. The budget for the survey was 11 million yen, and was paid for using local taxes. Around 10 Ishigaki City employees also participated in the survey. The results of the survey will help the city engage in ocean conservation efforts as well as support the local fishing industry.

 

Mayor Nakayama said, “We found a lot of garbage washed ashore on the coastline of Uotsuri I

City council opposition faction members protesting Mayor Ishigaki’s survey of the ocean around the Senkaku Islands – February 1, Ishigaki City Hall

sland. Feral goats (living on the island) continue to damage vegetation on the island so it will be necessary to take action soon.” When asked for his reason for not publicly disclosing the survey beforehand, he answered, “Other countries may have tried to interfere, and we may have been unable to survey the peaceful environment.”

 

He also commented that he was “completely unaware” that February 1 marked the one-year anniversary of China’s Coast Guard Law. He also indicated that he was considering petitioning the central Japanese government for permission to go ashore on the islands to install a sign indicating their authority.

 

Meanwhile, the city council’s opposition faction also held a press conference at the city hall, where they criticized Mayor Nakayama’s survey of the Senkaku Islands. They said the survey would, “Come with the cost of damaging the Sino-Japanese relationship in an unrecoverable way,” after the Beijing Winter Olympics currently underway in China, and that “Mayor Nakayama bears a grave responsibility for the pretext [of the survey].”

 

They also complained that the ocean survey was not explained to the city council in the budget proposal, and said that this was a “performance” as part of the lead-up to the Ishigaki mayoral election on February 27.

 

(English translation by T&CT and Sam Grieb)

 

Go to Japanese


　


Previous Article:
Next Article:

[Similar Articles]