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American and Japanese nature conservation groups won the lawsuit against the US Department of Defense regarding the relocation of the heliport facility of the US Marine Corps from Futenma Air Station to Camp Schwab (Nago city). Dugong are said to inhabit the bay area near Camp Schwab, and on January 24th, the US District Court in San Francisco ruled that the relocation plans are in violation of the US National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) as it neither comprehends nor takes into account the necessity of alleviating the adverse effect on dugongs.

The court ruling has sided with the conservation groups, requiring the US Department of Defense to submit its own "environmental impact assessment" for the protection of the dugong within 90 days. At present, it is clear that Japan's environmental impact assessment is inadequate as it does not satisfy the criteria required by US laws, so some officials say that the Japanese government, too, will most likely have to reexamine the relocation plans. There is also the possibility that the US Department of Defense may file an appeal.

In Okinawa, there is also ongoing conflict between the city/prefecture authorities and nature conservation groups about the reclamation of mudflats, an area where rare species inhabit. Hopefully the awareness among even people who have little interest for nature conservation will increase as such cases and their victory gain more profile.

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