Support for coral regeneration projects in the Kumejima area has begun!
The Council for Sexual Reproduction and Coral Regeneration Support has been supporting the Yaeyama Fishermen’s Cooperative Association’s coral regeneration activities through sexual reproduction in Sakieda Bay, Ishigaki Island, since 2020.
This time, from 2022, we have started new coral regeneration support activities in the Kumejima area, and held a press conference on May 12.
The council has been searching for new support areas to assist coral regeneration activities through sexual reproduction outside the Yaeyama area. Kumejima was chosen as a new support area because it hosts a research facility of the Fisheries Civil Engineering and Construction Technology Center, which is part of the council, and it is possible to produce seedlings at the facility. Additionally, the members of the Kumejima Fishermen’s Cooperative Association have shown enthusiasm and readiness to carry out coral regeneration activities through sexual reproduction.
The target area is the Nakazato district of Kumejima. Support in the Kumejima area will be conducted by the council supporting the Kumejima Fishermen’s Cooperative Association, which will be the project entity. Coral larvae will be raised in the research facility of the Fisheries Civil Engineering and Construction Technology Center located in Kumejima, then transferred to the seabed after about two years, and their growth will be monitored.
We plan to implement two cycles of a 5-year cycle starting this year and next year, aiming to transplant about 480 coral colonies using 1600 settlement devices over six years from 2022 to 2027.
Updates on coral regeneration will continue to be announced on the council’s website.
