Location

Onna Village, Japan

Onna is a village on Okinawa Island, Japan, which is well known for its resorts and beaches.

Onna Village is on the west coast of the central part of Okinawa Island and is long and narrow, measuring 27 km from north to south and 4.2 km from east to west. Manza Beach, located in the middle of Onna Village, has a beautiful coral reef in shallow waters and is a popular tourist spot and one of the most attractive resort areas in Okinawa.

 

Issue

Coral Reefs Degradation

In recent years, there have been growing concerns about the impacts of climate change such as increasing sea temperature and ocean acidification on coral reefs in Okinawa, and Onna Village is no exception. For instance, the coral reefs in Manza were severely damaged by the global rise in sea temperature in 1998. 

 

Solution / Lesson learned

Coral Regeneration Project

 The fishermen's union started coral cultivation efforts in 1999. They called for cooperation from companies across Japan that are enthusiastic about environmental conservation and awareness-raising activities, and their actions have now expanded to include 16 companies. They promote environmental conservation activities in which anyone can easily participate. For example, an event is held to re-plant corals in cooperation with a local fishing cooperative while enjoying diving and snorkeling. In addition to simply planting coral, participants will gather at a facility in a fishing port to learn about coral ecology. This practice resulted in a healthy ocean as well as high awareness of environmental pollution. Remarkably, the Onna Village announced the "Coral Village Declaration" in 2018 to prevent the destruction of the coral sea environment due to climate change and over-tourism.