Feeding traces of dugongs were discovered around the islands of Irabu and Hateruma, quite a distance from the Okinawa Main Island. The Ministry of the Environment conducted surveys using drones and divers in February and March this year. The results confirmed 64 feeding traces around Irabu and 4 around Hateruma. Based on the survey results, the Ministry concluded that, “a possibility is high that dugongs inhabit the area because the feeding traces were of recent date”.
Furthermore, there have been 4 eye-witness reports from August 2019 to March 2020: one report stated that several people saw 2 dugongs were swimming not far from the shore at night. We have been concerned if the dugongs in Okinawa were extinct after disappearing from the waters of Oura Bay, but now we can hope that the dugongs have expanded their habitat in the sea around the islands of Okinawa. Would they have traveled a distance of more than 400 kilometers searching for seagrass to feed? We want to believe that the dugongs will return eventually when the construction of the new base at the dugongs’ main feeding place in Oura Bay stops.
(In front of the Camp Schwab Gate)
The number of protesters has decreased due to the outbreak of the Coronavirus. Around 20 people participated in the sit-in at 9:00 a.m., noon, and 15:00 p.m. and protested against the deliveries of raw material. Large numbers of the riot police are new on the job (due to assignment shift in April at the beginning of a new fiscal year), and have not yet accustomed themselves to remove the protestors. Facing the aggressive protests for the first time, they were visibly shocked. First and for most, we need to educate them about “the freedom of speech and the freedom to protest” in order to make them understood they should not remove us from the protest rally.
653 truckloads were delivered.
(In front of the Ryukyu Cement Awa Pier)
Approximately 20 protestors divided themselves between the entrance and the exit of the pier and continued rallying. At sea, 8 canoes and one rubber boat attached themselves to the side of a cargo ship and delayed its departure for about one hour. Because the old pier is to be demolished, the cargo ship with landfill sand (a blue boat in the photo) and a coal carrier ship of Ryukyu Cement Co. (a white boat in the photo) moored to the new pier in a t-shape. Can Ryukyu Cement Co. carry out its original business task of shipping cement in such a way? It is obvious that they will have difficulties at the pier.
653 truckloads of earth and sand were delivered, 757 truckloads were loaded onto three cargo ships which left the pier. Yesterday 902 loadings were shipped out.
(Motobu Shiokawa Pier)
Five members of Shimagurumi Motobu protested all day. The belt conveyer installed without the permission of Okinawa Prefecture was already removed. 367 loadings were carried onto 3 cargo ships and left the pier. Yesterday 347 truckloads were loaded to 2 cargo ships which left the pier.
>Number of dump trucks to date and percentage against the total
The weight and the volume of earth/soil were estimated per experts’ advice
Number of dump trucks which made delivery from December 2018 to the end of December 2019 114,601(1.68%)
| 28（Sat） | 30（Mon） | 31（Tue） | Ari,1（Wed） | 2（Thr） | 3（Fri） | |
| Awa | 0 | 733 | 795 | 575 | 902 | 757 |
| Shiokawa | 0 | 321 | 380 | 99 | 347 | 367 |
| Number of dump trucks ※ |
Weightt of earth/sand
※① |
Converted to volume
※② |
Volume per Total
※③ |
| 172,341 | 1,034,046ｔ | 517,023㎥ | 2.507% |
