Feb 22, 2019

Session Report of Special Session : Satoumi & ICM Session (EMECS12)

Date: Nov. 5, 2018
Venue: Jomtien Palm Beach Hotel , Pattaya , Thailand

Summary

This session demonstrated that the Satoumi Concept is one that is steadily increasing in visibility not only in Japan but also at international conferences in Europe, the United States and other parts of Asia. The Special Session featured reports on various activities to preserve marine environments, presented by specialists from both Japan and various other countries including Indonesia.

The session attracted an overflow crowd of attendees, with some in the standing room area. There were intense discussions and a spirited exchange of views, so much so that the session actually went overtime. It was decided that there should be further efforts to promote Satoumi internationally as an effective means for achieving Integrated Coastal Management (ICM).

“12th International Conference on the Environmental Management of Enclosed Coastal Seas (EMECS 12)” included a special session entitled “Satoumi and ICM Session”. The special session was held from 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. on November 5, 2018 at the Jomtien Palm Beach Hotel in Pattaya, Thailand.

At the opening of the session, Takanori Konishi, Vice-Chair of the Hyogo Prefectural Assembly, took the podium and greeted the attendees. He said that Seto Inland Sea (Japan), which has managed to overcome the extreme pollution of its past, is now suffering from declining fishing catches. He said that scientists, government and local residents were cooperating in the effort to restore the beautiful and abundant Seto Inland Sea, and said he hoped that today’ s session would play a role in restoring its abundance.

In the first half of the session , by way of introducing the Satoumi concept, Principal Researcher Yanagi (International EMECS Center) presented an overview of the S13 “Development of Coastal Management Method to Realize the Sustainable Coastal Sea” Project of the Ministry of the Environment, and discussed the approach to putting together a final report. Next, Professor Wataru Nishijima (Hiroshima University) reported on the results of research into S-13 Topic 1. He said that the revitalization of Zostera beds in coastal ocean areas was the most effective way of managing nutrient salt concentrations in Hiroshima Bay. Next, Professor Teruhisa Komatsu (Yokohama College of Commerce) reported on the results of research into S-13 Topic 2. He said that, at Shizugawa Bay in Miyagi Prefecture, which is working to recover from the damage caused by the “Huge Tsunami in 2011”, fishermen, the government and scientists had worked together to devise the ideal cultivation technique for use in the bay. Finally, Chief Researcher Takafumi Yoshida( Northwest Pacific Region Environmental Cooperation Center (NPEC))

Reference

EMECS12 Satoumi & ICM Session Report

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