In the villages of Ogimi and Kunigami in northern Okinawa Prefecture, where hawksbill turtles, green sea turtles and loggerhead turtles are known to nest, an increasing number of eggs have been found destroyed by sea waves.
Coastal erosion has, over time, removed much of the sand from the beaches in question, which puts the turtle nests under threat from the elements.
Researchers are raising the alarm, saying that if the erosion of the beaches persists, there is a risk of the sea turtles — listed on the Environment Ministry’s Red List of endangered species — no longer laying eggs in the area.
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