High Court Naha Branch dismisses the prefecture's lawsuit seeking cancellation of order for coral transplantation permission

The Naha branch of the Fukuoka High Court ruled in a lawsuit in which the prefecture sought to cancel an instruction issued by the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries to Okinawa prefecture to allow coral transplantation regarding the relocation of the U.S. military base Futenma, claiming that it was illegal state involvement. On the 15th, the prefecture's appeal was dismissed.

Regarding the relocation of the U.S. military base Futenma to the coast of Henoko, Nago City, the Okinawa Defense Bureau has granted permission from the prefecture to transplant approximately 84,000 coral colonies that live on the Oura Bay side of the planned land, which has soft ground. However, the prefecture opposed the relocation and did not approve.

In response, the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, who is in charge of protecting marine resources, issued a ``corrective instruction'' to allow coral transplantation, and the prefecture canceled the instruction in August last year, citing ``illegal state involvement.'' had filed a lawsuit for.

In the judgment on the 15th, Presiding Judge Takashi Miura of the Naha Branch of the Fukuoka High Court said, ``The 'correction instructions' are legal and valid, and we cannot accept that they are an abuse of the state's authority to intervene. The prefecture's lawsuit was dismissed as "there is no basis."

A total of 14 lawsuits have been brought between Okinawa Prefecture and the national government regarding relocation work, including this one, and in seven of these, the prefecture has lost, and in four cases, the prefecture has decided whether or not a settlement will be reached. The lawsuit is being withdrawn.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Hayashi: “The government will continue to provide detailed explanations to local communities.”

At an afternoon press conference, Chief Cabinet Secretary Hayashi said, ``The government will continue to provide detailed explanations to the local community while making every effort to realize the full return of Futenma Air Base as soon as possible and reduce the burden on the base.'' ” he said.