By Edo Heinrich-Sanchez

Nakagusuku Children’s Association led by the Takahashi family, drag a washed up fishing net on Tsuha Beach in Nakagusuku.

Marine trash, especially plastic, is increasingly choking the ocean’s resilience. The Okinawa NGO & Asia-Pacific Environment Forum on Oct. 22nd and 23rd at OIST Seaside House hopes to create a new shift in policy to address this issue, and lead towards a World Ocean Renaissance by 2033 with a new baseline for stewardship from “Blue October” 2013.

NGO leaders from the outer islands; Miyako, Ishigaki, Iriomote and others will be there along with leaders from Hawaii, Philippines, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan and the United States, to discuss “World Chura Oceans Towards the 22nd Century”. (“Chura” is the Ryukyuan word for “beautiful”). Thus, every 22nd of the month is designated as a “cleanup date” prefecture-wide. Every third Sunday is the Family Clean Beach Day.

The recommendations from the NGOs will then be presented at the UNEP Regional Seas Programme NOWPAP Workshop on Marine Litter Management to take place from October 24 – 25 at the OIST main campus.

The Okinawa NGO Asia-Pacific Environment Forum is made possible with the support of the Japan Fund for Global Environment (JFGE).

October 26th will also see the Okinawa International Clean Beach Club (OICBC)’s I Love Okinawa Campaign®’s 20th anniversary with the first “Blue Peace Live” at the Coconut Moon Beach Bar in Onna Village next to the Renaissance Okinawa Resort.

For more information, contact edo@okinawaocean.org

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