The IOC held its forty first Executive Council meeting in Paris, June 22 - July 1, 2008. On its agenda were two related agenda items, one discussing the details for the celebration of its fifty year anniversary in 2010, and the other looking at the future of the organization.

The nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS George Washington will be deployed to Yokosuka from the end of September. Although the deployment of this state-of-the-art carrier will make a great contribution to Japan's security and the U.S. Navy has repeatedly explained the safety of the nuclear-powered carrier, opponents of the deployment assert that it "shouldn't be allowed" and that "Japan doesn't need it." Distinctions should be made between security and safety.

Although once declared extinct, small island populations of the Albatross survived and are making a comeback. Decoys and audio recordings are now being used to lure the Albatross to new breeding grounds, and an operation is ongoing where chicks are transported to Ogasawara island and hand raised until becoming independent. The creation of stable breeding grounds on non-volcanic islands is creating a bright future for the Albatross. It has also lately been discovered that the waters off Choshi are important feeding areas for child-raising adults.