The Ryukyu Shimpo newspaper has published the following article concerning establishment of a budget for survey work preparatory to seawater intake on Kumejima.

“Ministry of Defense Support towards Securing Budget for New Installation of Deep Ocean Water, Intake Facilities in Kumejima Town”

Ryukyu Shimpo (September 20, 2020)

Link: https://ryukyushimpo.jp/news/entry-1199674.html (in Japanese)

Summary

Reporting from Tokyo. The Ministry of Defense has decided to support construction of a Deep Ocean Water (DOW) Intake requested by Kumejima Town through request of budget to “meet the needs of the town.” The town plans to increase intake from the current 13,000m3 per day to around 100,000m3 per day, with estimated cost around 85 million JPY. Specific figures will be determined based on the outcome of surveys to be conducted in 2021-2022.

Kumejima Town has restrictions on its fisheries due to the Torishima Practice Range, and is focusing on fisheries utilizing DOW. In May, the Town submitted a request under the “Public Life Stabilization Subsidy Project,” for total project of 126 million JPY to carry out survey and planning work to be completed in 2021-2022.

(Translation/Summary by GOSEA Secretariat)