ID :
12142
Fri, 07/11/2008 - 11:22
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Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/12142
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Gov't appeals court decision over Isahaya
TOKYO, July 11 Kyodo - The government appealed on Thursday a district court ruling that ordered the state to open the Isahaya Bay dike in Nagasaki Prefecture, citing concerns that opening it will expose the area to risks of high tides which would damage farming business on the reclaimed land there.
Akio Managi, the lead lawyer representing the plaintiffs, some 2,500 local fishermen, said at a press conference, meanwhile, that they will also lodge anappeal Friday afternoon of the Saga District Court ruling.
On June 27, the district court said the state should recognize the causal link between the project and environmental changes, and ordered it to open the dike for five years, ruling in favor of the fishermen claiming the government's project to fill the bay has damaged the seawater environment in the area andtheir fishery businesses.
The appeal filed with the Fukuoka High Court will mean the dike will remain closed for the time being, stirring concern that keeping it closed will make it difficult to determine what is causing deterioration in the environment andfishing resources around the bay in the Ariake Sea.
In a statement issued Thursday evening, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Minister Masatoshi Wakabayashi said it is the fisheries minister's responsibility to act appropriately after considering all requests by the troubled fishermen, farmers who operate on the reclaimed land, as well as localresidents who worry about possible high-tide damage.
While appealing the ruling, the minister suggested in the statement steps to improve and revitalize the seawater environment to address the fishermen'sconcern.
Wakabayashi proposed conducting assessment research on the possible impact of the opening on the environment following discussions between the fisheriesministry and the Environment Ministry.
The government will also consider launching a study on special fish inhabitingthe area and developing technologies to farm fish and shellfish.
But Managi said, ''Conducting an assessment study is tantamount to pushing back the opening virtually forever.'' In last month's ruling, the district court also added that the state should carry out medium- to long-term research during the five years, while also granting the government a three-year moratorium on the opening of the dike as apreparation period.
But the district court fell short of recognizing a correlation between the closure and damage in all of the Ariake Sea, saying there is insufficientverifiable evidence.
Following the ruling, Saga Gov. Yasushi Furukawa and the prefectural assembly as well as three fisheries cooperatives from Saga, Kumamoto and Fukuokaprefectures surrounding the bay urged the government not to appeal.
In the meantime, Nagasaki Gov. Genjiro Kaneko asked that the state file an appeal, pointing to the possibility that the dike's opening will give rise to other problems such as salt-related harm on the water reservoir for agricultureon the reclaimed land.
In 1986, the government authorized the land reclamation project, designed tocreate farmland as well as to prevent flooding.
Despite strong opposition from local fishermen, the project, which cost 250billion yen, was completed in March this year.
A total of 41 companies and individuals have already started farming on the 680 hectares of farmland.==Kyodo
Akio Managi, the lead lawyer representing the plaintiffs, some 2,500 local fishermen, said at a press conference, meanwhile, that they will also lodge anappeal Friday afternoon of the Saga District Court ruling.
On June 27, the district court said the state should recognize the causal link between the project and environmental changes, and ordered it to open the dike for five years, ruling in favor of the fishermen claiming the government's project to fill the bay has damaged the seawater environment in the area andtheir fishery businesses.
The appeal filed with the Fukuoka High Court will mean the dike will remain closed for the time being, stirring concern that keeping it closed will make it difficult to determine what is causing deterioration in the environment andfishing resources around the bay in the Ariake Sea.
In a statement issued Thursday evening, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Minister Masatoshi Wakabayashi said it is the fisheries minister's responsibility to act appropriately after considering all requests by the troubled fishermen, farmers who operate on the reclaimed land, as well as localresidents who worry about possible high-tide damage.
While appealing the ruling, the minister suggested in the statement steps to improve and revitalize the seawater environment to address the fishermen'sconcern.
Wakabayashi proposed conducting assessment research on the possible impact of the opening on the environment following discussions between the fisheriesministry and the Environment Ministry.
The government will also consider launching a study on special fish inhabitingthe area and developing technologies to farm fish and shellfish.
But Managi said, ''Conducting an assessment study is tantamount to pushing back the opening virtually forever.'' In last month's ruling, the district court also added that the state should carry out medium- to long-term research during the five years, while also granting the government a three-year moratorium on the opening of the dike as apreparation period.
But the district court fell short of recognizing a correlation between the closure and damage in all of the Ariake Sea, saying there is insufficientverifiable evidence.
Following the ruling, Saga Gov. Yasushi Furukawa and the prefectural assembly as well as three fisheries cooperatives from Saga, Kumamoto and Fukuokaprefectures surrounding the bay urged the government not to appeal.
In the meantime, Nagasaki Gov. Genjiro Kaneko asked that the state file an appeal, pointing to the possibility that the dike's opening will give rise to other problems such as salt-related harm on the water reservoir for agricultureon the reclaimed land.
In 1986, the government authorized the land reclamation project, designed tocreate farmland as well as to prevent flooding.
Despite strong opposition from local fishermen, the project, which cost 250billion yen, was completed in March this year.
A total of 41 companies and individuals have already started farming on the 680 hectares of farmland.==Kyodo
