SUPER-lecture on dying Okinawan reef, yesterday at the
Ryudai (Nishihara University) library, by the Italian marine biologist and
researcher Giovanni Diego Masucci. An enlightening moment on the miserable
conditions of the archipelago environment due to greedy and ignorance: cement a
go-go, over-fishing, constant deforestation et too much cetera.
During a wonderful one-hour commented slideshow, Mr.
Masucci showed the scary and saddening results of his years-long research on
the marine and coastal situation of the main island of Okinawa.
Coral bleaching, dying almost everywhere at an
impressive rate; blind over-fishing; careless over-usage of plastic; estate
speculations and dirty business to cover the whole archipelago with resorts,
malls, roads, airports; the economical benefit$ that a healthy natural
environment could bring to Okinawa and to Japan, if only people weren’t so
cement+plastic addicted; the constant, systematic destruction of the coastline;
the urgent need to correct our lifestyle in order to try to slow down the
heating of the planet due to the climate change; the disrespect for local
communities in the smaller islands, weak and left alone by local and national
governments in the struggle against the greedy building companies, often
supported by questionable politicians; the few eco-friendly companies trying to
give a (better) future to Japan; suggestions for a lesser human impact on the
already worn out natural environment.
The beautiful lecture has been followed by a very
international public, each one giving his/her contribution in terms of
questions, comments and suggestions. Two very interesting points – in the end
just one: education – came out from the voices of two ladies: a young
‘uchinanchu’ (native Okinawan) and a Singaporean mother who has been living in
Okinawa for over fifteen years: the gap between local people – mostly
interested in a comfortable, ‘easy’ lifestyle (malls, SUVs, concrete homes,
Crocs and cheap food) and the sensitive gaijin-crowd -; the environmental
education that should be given to local people starting from elementary
schools, at the moment missing in action…
Some other interesting point: the need to visualize in
money value all the actual problems, as too many simple minded people only
understand that; the need to point out the dirty politics, where/whenever it’s
linked to project$ aiming to destroy the last nature left; the importance of
trees for our health (what future generations will breath, concrete dust?; eat:
micro-plastics?); the importance of starting, at least for a small percentage,
a serious debate about these issues, at the moment very far from everyday’s
life of Okinawans. Before it’s too late, if possible.
This Thursday (1 p.m.), another golden Italian
researcher, Piera Biondi, will give a very interesting public lecture about her
study on coral transplant, one of the few ‘medicines’ available to fight
against the constant destruction of reefs. Same place: the library of Nishihara
University. Don’t miss it!
JULY 5th
ONE MORE very interesting lecture, yesterday at
Nishihara University. Italian marine biologist and researcher Piera Biondi,
from Verona, gave us the results of her years-long research on Okinawan corals.
The archipelago’s prefecture, since 2012, started a project to grow corals,
conscious of the constant devastation of the reef. With the collaboration of
some local fishermen, three locations along the western coast of Okinawa’s main
island have been chosen to ‘farm’ new corals: Cape Manza and, more south,
Maeganeku 1 & 2. The popular Cape Manza, famous between tourists and
divers, is the one in better shape. Naturally protected, corals over there have
a longer life expectancy. Less at the Maeganeku locations, as facing the open
ocean and its strong currents.
The prefecture has another project that, sooner or
later, should start: a new ‘farm’ in Kume-jima, this time tourists+children-oriented.
If successful, it could educate the new generations about the
endangered sea issues.
The actual ‘farms’ - where ‘baby’ corals are grown
and, in a second moment, transplanted -, however, don’t work as they could be.
‘Baby’ corals are grown (try to grow) in too shallow waters, often surrounded
by tourist-divers. Consequently, many wanna-be-coral die. The cost of this project, paid with our taxes,
is incredibly high: if in the rest of the world a ‘baby’ coral transplant costs
on average 2$, in Okinawa - for some mysterious reason - the same operation
costs 3000 yen per coral!
After Piera’s lecture, the public participated with
interesting comments and questions. The most challenging one (by a German
entomologist): why Okinawa prefecture, instead of following stubbornly its own
system - which doesn’t seem to work as it could -, doesn’t simply follows the
systems of other countries that already succeed in transplanting corals? As
usual in this country, the reason is always one: pride for Japan’s own navel
(choices, strategies, systems).
Let’s hope that in the future more and more projects
and studies like this will grow, in the daily struggle against cement and
reef’s death. Okinawa has an extreme and urgent need to wake up its population
about environmental issues, otherwise the near future will be based on a 100%
concrete archipelago on a background of faraway natural memories…
On the 22nd of September (h 18:00-20:30) the amazing
researches of Giovanni Diego Masucci and Piera Biondi will be hosted during a
one-day-only event at Sakurazaka Theater – public debate in English with a
Japanese translator -, in the center on Naha.
GRAZIE
Giovanni! GRAZIE Piera!
Okinawa
owes you a lot.
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Monday, 23rd September 2019
THANK YOU VERY MUCH to all the gentle souls that yesterday evening came to Sakurazaka Theater to listen to marine biologists Giovanni Diego Masucci and Piera Biondi's super-interesting lecture on Okinawan corals!
The little event passed our expectations. The room has been filled, mostly by Japanese people. Not only some eccentric foreigners care for the future of Okinawa, then!
The slideshows of Giovanni and Piera have been followed intensely by the audience. Somebody made pain noises when Giovanni showed the map of Okinawa with the heartbreaking results about the covering of the island with concrete. Less then 40% of Okinawa's coastline is still natural, a serious problem for a place that promotes itself - through the mainstream touristic propaganda - as a "coral island"...
If building companies will continue destroying nature, in around ten year an unstoppable process will start killing all corals. Corals indispensable non just for beautiful postcards, but also for the life of fishes.
The two lectures, result of two years of serious research throughout Okinawa's main island, a work for the University of the Ryukyus (琉球大学, Ryūkyū Daigaku), have been followed by many questions. People worried for the destruction in Henoko and in non-military sites, people asking themselves what to do to change this sad situation, people that simply love nature and dream a more eco-friendly place where to live: all of them asked Giovanni and Piera their opinions. Many interesting points emerged from the debate, not just about corals, but also about our lifestyles: pollution, transport, diet, aggressive business, politics etc.
Here comes my personal collection of THANKS/GRAZIE/ありがとう: of course first of all to my Italian friends Giovanni and Piera for bringing, through their job, some light to Okinawa!; to Seiga Yamada and to the whole staff of Sakurazaka for hosting this unique event; to Yuko Nakazato for the amazing - quick, accurate, professional - service of interpreting, translating from English into Japanese and viceversa; to Riccardo Virgili and Satoko Ishizaki for these photos; and once more to my wife Satoko, for promoting this little event that meant so much for us!
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UPDATE! (February 2021):
My wondercool friends Giovanni & Piera's new adventure, that I support with all my heart. If you belive in a planet not just made of cement, cars and malls, please, share and support them.
We, especially Okinawa, need more Giovanni & Piera!
