The "Marine Education Pioneer School Program" sponsored by the Nippon Foundation and the Ocean Policy Research Institute of the Sasakawa Peace Foundation, aims to achieve coexistence between people and the ocean through their support of ocean education to schools and boards of education nationwide. To date, approximately 1,500 schools have taken advantage of this support, with a variety of ocean-themed learning initiatives taking place. In addition, the annual Marine Education Study Group is deepening understanding of marine education by sharing practical examples from each school and forming networks of related parties. As the environmental crisis surrounding the ocean increases, the importance of marine education is being reaffirmed, leading to calls for support of the next generation.

This summer, the "Marine Education Study Group 2024" was held at Fukuoka City Katsuma Elementary School on Shikanoshima. Katsuma Elementary School seeks to utilize local educational resources to raise children who will create their own futures, and is taking the ocean as a field to engage in distinctive educational activities such as kayaking, rocky shore observation, and beach cleaning. Stakeholders from all over the country gathered to engage, connect, and think about Shikanoshima, deepening their understanding of ocean learning’s potential and how to create learning opportunities about local nature, history, and culture.

By participating in the Marine Education Study Group 2024, I was able to reaffirm the potential of marine education using local materials. I am convinced that even in places far from the sea, by utilizing learning through mountains and rivers we can put the principles of marine education into practice and provide children with rich learning experiences. I would like to continue to promote marine education that makes use of the characteristics of the region and to support the growth of children who will lead the future, and I feel that sharing information and interacting with related parties is important for this purpose.

In the Marine Production Department’s Cultivation Technology Course at Kagawa Prefectural Tadotsu High School, students are developing new methods for cultivating fish species and establishing an original brand for their farmed fish. Halfbeak farming began when students found fish eggs attached to seaweed, and after overcoming obstacles succeeded in fully cultivating them. They are ready to ship in December, when wild fish are usually not available, and are being marketed as "Seto no Kirameki" (Seto Sparkles).

In Minamisatsuma City, deep-sea fish caught as by-catch during fishing used to be discarded, but with an aim to make effective use of resources and reduce food waste, a project was launched in cooperation with Kagoshima University and local businesses. Students from the general education department of our school also participated, and workshops were held to give nicknames to deep-sea fish, cooking classes were held, and recipe suggestions were made. Through these activities, students have deepened their understanding of and affinity for deep-sea fish. Furthermore, we would like to continue to turn deep-sea fish into teaching materials and create 3D picture books to pass on our limited local resources to the future.