NPOs and Organic Farming Group Join to Revitalize Kasumigaura Area

Three organizations announced on October 28, 2004 that they have concluded an environmental partnership agreement for creating a recycling-oriented society that retains the local character of the Lake Kasumigaura/Lake Kitaura region in Ibaraki Prefecture, 60 km northeast of Tokyo. The three organizations are the Asaza Fund, a nonprofit organization (NPO) that works to preserve and restore nature in the area, Eco-Town Hokota, an environmental NPO in Hokota Town along the shores of Lake Kitaura, and the Guild, an agricultural group of organic vegetable and free-range egg producers.

Sustainability in the lakes' catchments has been threatened by a decrease in fishery income due to excessive catches of invasive fish species such as black bass that have no market value but eat indigenous fish, and by water pollution resulting from agricultural chemical fertilizer discharged into the basin.

Since its formation in 1995, the Asaza Fund has launched several citizen-initiated public works under the "Asaza Project," which aims to revitalize the area. [The asaza (Nymphoides peltata) is an aquatic plant: its near-disappearance from Lake Kasumigaura sparked formation of the NGO.] The Fund will start working in earnest on new activities related to the agreement in the spring of 2005. The three organizations aim to establish a recycling-oriented society through synergistic effects resulting from ecosystem conservation and the promotion of local industries.

Specifically, they plan to buy fish meal made from captured invasive fish species, use it to produce organic crops, eggs and canola for creating fuel from canola oil. In addition, fishery, agricultural and environmental organizations will collaborate to develop a product line called "One Percent for the Lake Brand." One percent of sales will be donated to the Asaza Fund.

http://www.kasumigaura.net/asaza/en/

Posted: 2005/02/21 12:25:29 PM
Japanese version