By Yohei Okabori

On April 26th, a dugong caught in a fixed shore net was discovered on the Okinawa seashore in the morning, and the news surprised many people. The dugong is a protected species in Japan. The dugong is a herbivorous mammal that lives in the ocean from tropical zones to the subtropics, and it is also the model for the mermaid legend. It is classified as a sea cow, and manatees living in and around Africa and the United States are related to it, but it is not related to whales or dolphins.

About 100,000 dugongs once thrived from the Pacific to the Indian Ocean. Recently, however, theirs numbers have decreased, so the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) listed them as an endangered species. They were once seen in many areas around Okinawa, but now they have only been seen around Hennoko, which is located in the northeastern part of Okinawa Island. The population might be less than 50.

Dugongs need alga, coral reef and a lot of fish to survive. In recent years, however the coral reefs around Okinawa have become greatly damaged and the damage has spread close to Hennoko. One of the causes is the explosive increase of crown-of-thorns starfish which feed on coral. There is a theory that the increase of crown-of-thorns starfish is caused by the ocean's environmental deterioration along with the industrial development of coastlines, water pollution and eutrophication of seawater. It is theorized that environmental deterioration has also been caused by the construction of tourist hotels located on the seashore as Okinawa increased as a popular tourist destination.

In spite of these problems, there are some signs of hope. There is information that coral reefs around Hennoko, where all dugong currently live, are getting better. The cause of the recovery might be the fruit of steady activities by people who have tried to save dugongs around Okinawa and who have also been devoted to the conservation of nature. One volunteer activity held as an experiment was to drive coral reef in a ceramic pile to let coral eggs live within the pile. Furthermore, people have taken action all over the country. One such action is a signature-collecting campaign that demands an official dugong sanctuary, and demands the practice of environmental assessment using global standards from Japan's government.

If we save the dugong only by keeping them in isolation, the action won't make sense without a viable habitat. The only way to protect the dugong is to protect the coral and the surrounding environment. It is very important to maintain a good living environment for dugongs and preserve the seaside area, but we cannot protect the seaside environment in only that way. We also must keep the surrounding shore in good condition. We have to preserve things such as rivers flowing into the sea, forests collecting ground water and mountains and think of them as one. Conservation in the diversity of all creatures will lead to the protection of dugongs.

One condition for the environment for dugongs is having enough abundant marine resources. We can begin environmental education and put tourist resources to this cause. We could secure dugongs' sanctuary not only as nature conservation, but also as a symbol of supporting a variety of activities like those mentioned above.

Because Okinawa's waters have been damaged by the deterioration of the environment, dugongs are barely still alive. We all should think deeply about Okinawa's environment and continue with an iron will toward improvement and conservation.

What is in question now is how we should live. By saving the dugongs in crisis we are conserving the riches of the global environment and that will benefit our future as we move into in the 21st century.

In the remote future, say one thousand years from now, will our descendants know a world where not only dugongs, but all living things which live in the ocean now still exist? We cannot help hoping that our descendants will be able to enjoy the natural treasures we still have today.