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Hi i'm Sarah Burt. I'm an attorney working for Earthjustice, the law firm for
the environment.
I'd like to tell you about the dugong, a shy
sea mammal closely related
to the American manatee, that lives in ocean waters of Asia.
It's northern most range is among the sea grass beds of Okinawa Japan.
People in Okinawa hold the dugong in reverence.
In much the same way that Americans view the bald eagle.
Japan even issued a stamp with a picture of the Dugong on it.
But now the dugong is in trouble. Japanese
scientists believe there may be only ten dugongs still surviving in the waters
of Okinawa.
The Japanese government has labeled it critically endangered.
Even though there are only a few dugongs left in the water of Okinawa. The
United States military plans to destroy part of the dugong's home,
by filling in a bay adjacent to a military base in order to create a new airfield.
The U.S. military so far, has refused to consider other ways to build the airbase
that might not destroy parts of the bay where dugongs live.
Earthjustice is representing Okinawa and American conservationists who are asking
the U.S military to reconsider how the project can be built, to minimize harm to
the dugongs home.
Check out what we're doing to save the dugong at earthjustice.org
I'm Sarah Burt.