（日本語）

Ishigaki Island is some 400km southwest of Okinawa Island itself and home to an eco-system not found elsewhere in Japan. VISIT OKINAWA  says, "Ishigaki Island; Gateway to the Yaeyama Islands acclaimed for its harmony between nature and music. Look around and take in the sea and sky of cobalt blue, tropical mountains towering overhead, and a night sky full of stars. Ishigaki Island is rich in nature..." 

The "Ishigaki Island Resort & Community Project (tentative name)" by Unimat Precious Co., Ltd. is a project to build a golf course, six mid- to high-rise hotels (461 guest rooms) with a maximum height of nearly 40 meters, villas (58 units), numerous swimming pools, and other leisure facilities on a vast parcel of land (127.4 ha in total) covering about 60% of the northern slope of Mt. Maesedake on Ishigaki Island. Since the plan was first revealed, a wide range of serious problems have been pointed out, such as deforestation, soil runoff into the sea, depletion and pollution of groundwater, and light pollution at nighttime (especially affecting the Ishigaki Island Observatory), raising a large amount of strong opposition from the local community.

Since the land targeted as the construction site is mostly farmland, the project initially faced protracted difficulties.  However, a land use plan based on a deregulation law called the "Regional Future Investment Promotion Law" was submitted and approved by Okinawa Prefecture. This has reportedly led to an early start of construction by the project developers, and we therefore have a strong sense of urgency.

Maesedake is one of the most nature-rich places on Ishigaki Island, and is home to populations of crested serpent eagle​, Ryūkyū scops-owl​, Yaeyama firefly, and numerous other species of endemic reptiles, birds, insects, and flowers.  Furthermore, downstream is the wetland Nagura Amparu (registered by the Ramsar Convention), and Nagura Bay, home to one of the world's largest coral colony of Pavona clavus.  Maesedake is one of the precious water sources flowing into it. 

As Ishigaki Island has undergone all kinds of development, it has lost a significant portion of the richness of both land and sea.  Those of us who live on the island do not want the beautiful scenery of Ishigaki, often likened to a paradise, to be destroyed. We also feel the guilt, heartbreak, and responsibility as human beings that many rare species such as the crested serpent eagle are being forced to leave their habitat as their numbers decrease year after year. To prevent further loss of our rich environment and its biodiversity, we have launched this Change.org campaign.

As the construction is about to start, we are aiming for 100,000 signatures in a short period of time. In order to protect this island of irreplaceable nature that is Ishigaki, please sign the petition and help us spread the word.

 　With the signatures of support, we ask the following of the respective recipients.

• Unimat Precious Co., Ltd. must abandon the Ishigaki Island Resort & Community Project (tentative name).
• The governor of Okinawa Prefecture must withdraw approval of the land use adjustment plan.
• Finally, we call on the mayor of Ishigaki City to withdraw the Regional Economic Empowerment Project Plan.

September 14, 2021

Association for the Protection of Amparu Wetlands

Takamasa Shimamura, Joint Representative

Society to Consider the Natural Environment of Our Yaima

Nobuhiro Miyagi, Chairman

First round of consolidation: September 30, 2021

Second round of consolidation: October 20, 2021