Practice / Practice of Satoumi Creation
Satoumi creation proceeds along the following five steps.
Preparation (understanding the situation and organizing the issues)
Creating a local “chart” that forms the foundation of the activities
Accurately grasping the actual conditions of the area and organizing the issues is the first step in considering the goals of Satoumi creation. To understand the history and current state of Satoumi, set goals that match the area's issues and their causes, and plan activities suited to achieving those goals, it is necessary to correctly organize and analyze the current situation and the issues.
Perspectives for grasping the current situation
Natural environment
We check the extent and condition of seagrass beds and tidal flats, the habitat status of flora and fauna, water quality, sediment quality, the presence of rare or invasive species, the level of biodiversity, and the material-cycling function of the entire watershed.
Social environment
We investigate the area's historical and cultural background, demographic trends, the state of resource utilization such as fisheries and tourism, and residents' awareness and participation in activities, in order to understand how people relate to the sea.
Survey methods
In addition to using existing literature and statistical materials, we combine the collection of residents' practical wisdom and the area's historical knowledge through interviews with fishers and residents, together with on-site surveys. At the survey-planning stage, it is also important to conduct site visits to the planned activity locations and prior coordination with government and the local fisheries cooperative, and to confirm the constraints and conditions for carrying out surveys and activities.
Procedure for organizing the issues
Organizing the survey results
We systematically organize the collected information on the natural and social environment. When organizing it, we also use diagrams and flowcharts so that the relationships among the information and the current state of the area can be grasped comprehensively.
Estimating the factors of degradation
We analyze the causes of the environmental deterioration, resource decline and social problems identified while organizing the current situation. At the same time, on the community side, we analyze the factors behind the “weakening of the relationship between people and the sea” caused by a shortage of people to carry on activities and by changes in lifestyles.
Examples of surveys for cause analysis
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When water quality is deteriorating
Investigate the inflow of pollutant loads from land, etc.
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When shrinkage or degradation of seagrass beds is observed
Investigate whether there is anthropogenic pressure, such as land reclamation or changes in water quality
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When biodiversity or biological productivity is declining
Investigate whether the inflow or increase of invasive species or alteration of habitats is occurring
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When the relationship between people and the sea is weakening
Investigate the area's social problems, such as population decline, aging, and the outflow of young people
Considering improvement methods
Based on the current situation and causes identified, we consider what improvements are possible in each of the environmental, resource and social dimensions. We organize the direction of improvement from the perspectives of “what can be protected, restored and created,” “how resources can be used and circulated,” and “who will participate and provide support.”
Examples of considering improvement methods
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When water quality is deteriorating
Consider improvement measures such as improving sewage treatment and preventing soil runoff through afforestation
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When shrinkage or degradation of seagrass beds is observed
Consider the possibility of seagrass-bed restoration activities
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When biodiversity or biological productivity is declining
Consider creating a virtuous cycle through resource management, the introduction of aquaculture-based fisheries, and the promotion of local consumption
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When the relationship between people and the sea is weakening
Consider ways to enhance local autonomy and enable diverse stakeholders to participate, such as reviving local events, creating opportunities for ocean education, and building mechanisms to gain cooperation from other regions
Extracting the issues
Based on the current situation, causes and improvement methods, we list up the issues to be solved. We organize the issues by category—environmental, economic (resource), social, etc.—and evaluate them from the perspectives of priority, urgency and ease of implementation.
Goal setting and planning (formulating the future vision)
Clarifying the vision the community should aim for and drawing a concrete blueprint
To advance Satoumi creation, it is important to clarify the future vision the community should aim for and to set concrete goals. When setting goals, they should be set as quantitatively and concretely as possible, fully taking into account the current state and characteristics of the area's natural and social environment. Numerical targets also serve as criteria for evaluation and improvement and as indicators for adaptive management. Goals related to concrete actions that are not numerical targets—such as “collaboration between fishers and tourism operators” or “securing a base to take on human resources”—may also be set. Goal setting should be shared among stakeholders from an early stage and advanced while carefully listening to their opinions, positioning it as a consensus-building process for envisioning the “ideal future state of the community.”
Setting goals (KGI/KPI)
KGI (final goal)
This indicates the future vision to aim for (the desirable state of Satoumi).
KPI (intermediate indicator)
These are multiple indicators for visualizing progress toward the KGI. We set quantitative values as far as possible from the perspectives of “natural environment,” “social environment,” “local government measures,” and “the way human effort is involved.”
Formulating the project plan
We clearly define when, where, who and what will be done, incorporating environmental, social and organizational elements in a balanced way. By setting quantitative target values and numerical indicators as much as possible, results can be evaluated objectively. By also considering monitoring and adaptive-management mechanisms at the planning stage, the plan retains the flexibility to be revised as needed, which helps in achieving future goals.
Examples of funding sources
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Holding ecotourism and hands-on tourism
We plan nature observation events and hands-on learning tours in Satoumi and use the participation fees as activity funds. By also developing Satoumi guides and preparing a reception system, this can lead to local job creation.
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Development and sale of local specialty products
We brand marine products and salt harvested from Satoumi and sell them as high-value-added products. By creating a mechanism to set aside part of the sales into an environmental conservation fund, a virtuous cycle of use and conservation is generated.
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Corporate-version hometown tax donations / CSR support
We solicit donations and sponsorships from companies that sympathize with local Satoumi creation activities. We encourage investment in Satoumi as part of CSR (corporate social responsibility) and carbon offsetting, gaining cooperation in terms of both funding and personnel.
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Cooperation funds from local residents / crowdfunding
We call on residents at local briefings and the like to solicit small cooperation funds and donations of goods, and conduct crowdfunding on the internet, thereby gathering funds and supporters.
Implementation of Satoumi creation (rolling out activities)
Based on the formulated plan, diverse stakeholders act in the field
To steadily advance Satoumi creation based on KGI and KPIs, it is important to proceed with efforts in a phased and organized manner. By applying the results and issues obtained from activities to ocean education and utilization, and feeding the funds and knowledge thus obtained back into conservation activities, we achieve sustainable Satoumi creation.
Field activities (fieldwork)
We carry out fieldwork that combines physical and scientific measures such as litter collection and nutrient management with biological measures such as the conservation, restoration and creation of seagrass beds and tidal flats.
Ocean education and outreach activities
By collaborating with school education and social-education facilities to conduct nature observation events and hands-on learning for local residents, citizens and the next generation, we promote understanding of the importance of Satoumi and the development of future people to carry on the activities.
Utilization of local resources
Through promoting local production for local consumption and implementing programs that reconcile fisheries and tourism with environmental conservation, we generate “people, goods and funds” and create a virtuous cycle that returns them to the conservation, restoration and creation of the marine environment.
Communication and information dissemination
Advancing Satoumi creation requires working on both internal communication and external information dissemination.
Internal communication
We strengthen information sharing and collaboration among stakeholders through regular meetings, councils and workshops. Collaborating with counterparts in other regions to gather information and form networks is also important.
Information dissemination
We widely communicate the status and appeal of activities through methods such as using social media and websites, placing printed materials such as posters and pamphlets in public facilities, and using the Ministry of the Environment's “Platform for Environmental Activities at the Water's Edge.” For local residents, we hold hands-on events and study sessions to foster understanding of the activities and encourage participation.
Monitoring (progress management)
Confirming the effects of activities with objective data
The purpose of monitoring in Satoumi creation is to grasp the progress of activities based on KGI and KPIs and to regularly confirm whether the plan is progressing as scheduled. By constantly checking the current situation and revising the plan as necessary, Satoumi creation activities can be advanced appropriately.
Continuous observation
Based on the KGI and KPIs set in Step 2, we continue regular observation and recording at the same site for several years or more.
Adaptive management
Using the data obtained, we evaluate the effects and problems of Satoumi creation activities and respond according to the situation, such as flexibly adjusting the plan content and implementation methods. It is also important to set a schedule for evaluation and review at the planning stage and to build in opportunities for regular verification in advance.
Ensuring transparency
Monitoring results serve as objective indicators of achievement. The process of administrative reporting and information sharing among stakeholders also leads to the continuous improvement of Satoumi creation and to greater transparency and accountability of the plan.
Evaluation and review (improvement and reflection)
Analyzing monitoring results and updating the activities
Evaluation of Satoumi creation is carried out comprehensively, selecting indicators from both the natural and social environment and including multifaceted effects. By combining the grasp of the current situation through monitoring with the grasp of social participation, it is important to clarify the plan's progress and reflect it in the activities of the following fiscal year onward.
Examples of evaluation indicators for the natural environment
- Distribution of plants and organisms on beaches and tidal flats
- Water-quality and sediment environment
- Area of seagrass beds
- Number of species of benthic organisms
- Catch of fish and shellfish
- Local ingredients handled at morning markets, farm stands, roadside stations, etc.
Examples of evaluation indicators for the social environment
- Area for which conservation and restoration were achieved
- Degree of participation of workers and residents
- Questionnaire surveys of local residents
- Number of accesses and posts to social media and websites
- Fishers' income and the number of people employed
When setting evaluation indicators, it is necessary to value both that they are easy to share among stakeholders and that they are measurable. Regarding the priority and weighting of indicators, keep them adjustable flexibly while respecting the content agreed upon at the time of planning.