Air Nippon Airways CSR Actions – Wildlife and ecosystems – Animal protection
Content submitted by – UNWTO RW
Submited Date : 16/07/2018

The rising temperature of seawaters is causing bleaching and a large-scale outbreak of crown-of-thorns starfish that threaten Okinawa's coral with extinction. Air Nippon Airways participates in the Coral Restoration Project Team Tyura Sango, working to restore and protect the critical coral community near Onnason, Okinawa Prefecture. Team Tyura Sango is a project formed in 2004 as a partnership among government, academia and business to restore and protect the coral community near Onnason, Okinawa Prefecture, in a bid to support the restoration of coral reef ecosystems.

Volunteer divers plant coral by hand after it has been grown at onshore facilities. Since the project began, more than 1,200 volunteers have helped in the restoration, and more than 1,600 heads of coral have been planted.

In addition to continuing these preservation activities, ANA ensures that the hand-planted coral continues to grow and spawn to increase in size and number.  They want these activities to inspire as many people as possible with an awareness of the importance of the beauty of the seas.