Knowing, Protecting and Using the Ocean

A report subtitled as "Japan's Ocean Policy at the Outset of the 21st Century" was submitted to the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology by the Chairman of the Council for Science and Technology in August 1, 2002. It is important to study the most appropriate system for ocean policymaking from a perspective of integrated ocean governance in order to shift to a balanced ocean policy of "knowing, protecting and using the ocean."

Toward the realization of the basis of Japan's ocean policy

On April 13, 2001, the Council for Science and Technology received an inquiry from the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology in regard to "the basic concept of, and promotional measures for ocean development in the long-term." The reason for the Minister's inquiry was that "until now, the priority in ocean development has been ocean use, but the desire is for development of the resource through a balanced consideration of the "knowing and protecting" the oceans. The Council for Ocean Development stressed the necessity of balancing these three objectives in March 2000.
The Council for Ocean Development, which used to be under the jurisdiction of the Prime Minister's Office, became a department in the Council for Science and Technology as part of the administrative reforms in 2000. Its secretariat used to be in the Ocean Development Division of the Science and Technology Agency, thereafter known as the Ocean and Earth Division, and is now in the Ocean and Earth Division of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology. Though the Subdivision on Ocean Development was moved into the Council for Science and Technology at the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, it receives inquiries from the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, and other related ministers.
Knowing and protecting the oceans were the consistent subjects of discussion with regard to the role of the subdivision and its future outlook from the beginning of the consultation to the compilation of its report. There were a number of comments that the department should be renamed "Council for Oceans," or "Council for Ocean Policy" as a body that is solely dedicated to handing matters related to "oceans" in order to discuss and investigate the three principles of knowing, protecting and using the oceans."
Matters described in the fourth report (May 1990) from the Council for Ocean Development were divided into those that had been completed and those that were still being handled, and hearings were conducted with regard to the conditions for implementation. The three committees - the Committee on Ocean Research and Infrastructure Improvement, the Committee on Ocean Preservation and the Committee on Ocean Utilization - then started conducting studies.

Viewpoints of future ocean policy

In 1950, the world's population was 2.5 billion, but it is now over 6 billion. The food supply is a big problem even as over the past 50 years, the production of grains, pulses, meat and marine resources has increased per capita to a nearly steady supply. However, it has become impossible to expect a further increase in production due to a decrease in the amount of arable land, a shortage of water resources caused by desertification and land devastation caused by excessive cultivation. It is also reported that fish catches have already reached their limit and are declining.
Oceans account for 70% of the earth's surface area. Until now the production of food has been the main activity conducted on land, the remaining 30% of the earth's surface. A great deal of phytoplankton and algae are being produced through photosynthesis even in the ocean. Photosynthesis created along coastal areas does not differ from photosynthesis created in tropical rainforests - which produce the greatest amount of photosynthesis on earth - and amounts to three times the amount of photosynthesis created in rice paddies. On the other hand, the amount of photosynthesis created in the open sea is less than 5% of the amount of photosynthesis created in coastal areas, and the open sea is called an ocean desert because nutrients, which is equivalent to manure for plants, is being consumed in areas up to approximately 100 meters below sea level where light reaches to. Deeper water with abundant nutrients, dead marine life and effluence dissolved with microbes lies in a layer below the euphotic zone, and it is expected to be used for the production of food in the future. The worsening global environment, especially global warming, has caused increased water surfaces and climatic variation, so an understanding of the roles of oceans is being urgently sought.
For the supply of energy, oceans can be utilized as production bases for untapped natural resources such as methane hydrate, and clean energy such as wind power, solar energy, wave power, and the ocean thermal energy, which utilize temperature difference between the upper and lower layers. The ocean also provides a vast space for human activities. Because mantles where earthquakes and volcanic activities originate have oceanic crusts, which are thinner than continental crusts, the exploration of, and research on ocean floors will help predict natural disasters.
The utilization of oceans is an important issue that will decide our future, and as an advanced maritime country surrounded by the resource, Japan faces a major task. However, many council members pointed out that the nation lacks interest in oceans, and that oceans are not often taken up as a subject at school. They also pointed out that environments where citizens can enjoy the ocean should be improved, and that it is difficult to go yachting or boating or to do other marine sports in comparison to other countries. Further, they raised the importance of training personnel and educating young people about the ocean.
One of the things emphasized in this report was ocean management. In addition to the promotion of comprehensive management for the improvement of the marine environment in coastal areas, we should now also exercise ocean management for oceanic regions, such as the establishment of an observation system and measures for oceanic forecasts.

Ocean policy from the viewpoint of comprehensive ocean management

The report submitted on August 1, 2002, from the Chairman of the Council for Science and Technology, to the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology was "The basic concept and promotion measures for ocean development from long-term view point," with a subtitle "Japan's ocean policy in the early 21st century." Reflecting on the difficulty in the past of proposing policy that could be tackled with a concerted national effort from a comprehensive point of view with regard to the planning and formulation of Japan's ocean policy, the report said that it is important to examine the most suitable system for planning and formulating ocean policy from such a perspective of ocean management.
To improve the current system, governmental liaison meetings related to ocean development should provide and collect information concerned with government policies, and they should be changed to venues for substantive discussions. Besides this, the Subdivision on Ocean Development should investigate and discuss development policy, a comprehensive national policy, and government-wide policy. In addition, the formation of a new professional organization related to ocean policy within the government was proposed. This proposed organization should investigate and research what Japan's ocean development ought to be, conduct studies of the goals of and promotional methods for ocean development, methods for cooperating with foreign countries, a comprehensive national policy, and government- wide policy based on the information and knowledge obtained through its activities. Based on these results, the Subdivision on Ocean Development should investigate and discuss national ocean policy. Concerning this proposal, many agreed that it is important to continuously conduct studies from this kind of viewpoint. For the present time, the Subdivision on Ocean Development will continue to be utilized for the promotion of ocean development, but with future considerations in mind, it was decided to conduct discussions based on the proposal to establish a system that will increase the present role of governmental liaison meetings related to ocean development, as well as a new organization within the existing government.
When the report was about to be finalized, a proposal by the ocean management study group of the Nippon Foundation was announced and we think that the time has come to review Japan's ocean policy from various viewpoints. The report was compiled with a long-term outlook of around 10 years into the future, however it was decided to conduct follow-up studies and reevaluate from time to time in consideration of advances in scientific technology and changes in social conditions.