• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.355-371
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• 2013

The purpose of this study is to explore the history of the relationships between Japan and the Pacific Island Nations in the context of its ocean policy, and to survey the current situation. Particularly, this paper inquires into how Japan's maritime policy, nuclear policy, and official development assistance policy have affected relationships with countries in this region. Firstly, this paper gives a brief overview of the socio-political situations of Pacific Island Nations. Secondly, the history of the 'Southward Advance Theory' adopted as national policy by Japan in the Meiji era is summarized. Thirdly, how Japan successfully re-entered this region despite conflicts surrounding the nuclear issue after the Second World War is explored. Lastly, this paper investigates how official development assistance and PALM (Pacific Island Leaders Meeting) helped to develop relations between Japan and the Pacific Island Nations.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.351-353
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• 2013

Until recently, Pacific equatorial tropical island states were subject of only very limited interest by scientists, government officials, industry and policy makers of Korea. And, comprehensive information and data on these island regions is not very detailed to help better understand their social backgrounds as well as their natural environment. However, these island regions are now in the middle of diplomatic tug-of-war among super powers as well as becoming nucleus of various science-based ocean issues including marine biodiversity, shifting ecosystem, global environmental change including sea level rise and ocean acidification, fisheries, etc. Therefore, rising political and scientific importance of these areas call for better understanding of these regions, in social aspects as well as natural scientific knowledge of the region. To be provocatively prepared to more actively role in these regions, "A study on Establishing Research Infrastructures in the Tropical Pacific" has been supported during 2012-2013 as a mission-oriented in-house project of the KIOST. This project aims to provide various research infrastructure for Pacific island states, to reinforce cooperation with these nations, and to enhance Korea's national prestige. This special issue contains 10 research articles based on the studies conducted in 2012~2013.

• Ocean and Polar Research
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.373-381
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• 2013

The Pacific Island Forum that consists of 14 island countries in the South Pacific has long been the focus of keen attention from East Asian countries such as South Korea, Japan and China. The South Pacific area was controlled by Japan right after the First World War. The League of Nations bestowed the right of trusteeship over the region to Japan, one of the victors in the war. However, the U.S. considered the area indispensible for its security interests in the Pacific after victory in the Second World War. With the end of Cold War period, the region again began to gain the competitive attention of Japan, China and Korea. Japan has made efforts to give economic assistance to this region by holding the Japan-Pacific Islands summit every three years. In addition, Japan is promoting a security engagement with this region by dispatching Self Defense Forces with the aim of initiating construction and development projects. In response to Japan's active involvement in the region, China also began to convene a summit meeting with these countries in 2006, making pledges of economic assistance. Furthermore, Chinese civilian companies struck deals of investment with municipal institutions in the region with a view to enhancing China's influence in the region. Japan's and China's active engagement in the region has galvanized South Korea to craft a more effective strategic approach to the region.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.48 no.6
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• pp.940-946
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• 2015

The Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin Tursiops aduncus commonly inhabits the coastal waters of Jeju Island, Korea. An investigation was conducted using data from vessel sightings and point sightings from land. During 40 days of vessel sighting surveys between 2007 and 2010, a total of 18 dolphin groups were encountered. The overall sighting rate was 0.01 group/n.m. Most Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins were sighted within 500 m of the northern coast of Jeju Island during surveys. Also, dolphin groups were observed 47 times during 109 days of shore-based surveys conducted between 2011 and 2015. The results of a dolphin distribution survey conducted in 2011 were generally similar to the results of previous surveys. However, there were no dolphin sightings from 2012 in Hanllim-eup, in the north-western part of the island, where dolphins were sighted frequently until 2011, whereas dolphin observations increased in the southern part of the island. The mean group size was 35.4 (SD=18.08) individuals. The most frequently sighted group size was 36-40 individuals. To conserve resident dolphins off Jeju Island, long term sighting surveys and environmental assessment are required to monitor their distribution patterns.

• Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.1.1-1.12
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• 2018

Pacific bluefin tuna (Thunnus orientalis) is one of the commercially important species in Korea as well as other countries of the North Pacific. Korean offshore large purse seine fisheries targeting small pelagic fishes such as chub mackerel have caught T. orientalis temporarily in the east of Jeju Island. The catch of T. orientalis in March through June occupied approximately 60% of the total. The monthly catch around Jeju Island from 2004 to 2013 showed a negative correlation (r = - 0.755, p < 0.01) with the seawater temperature at 50 m and had a significant positive correlation (r = 0.856, p < 0.01) with the Pacific Decadal Oscillation Index (PDOI). The highest catch and catch per unit effort (CPUE) of T. orientalis around Jeju Island occurred either when the seawater temperature ranged between 15 and $16^{\circ}C$ at 50 m or when the catch was taken near the frontal area where two water masses from offshore and coastal areas collide. The length of T. orientalis caught around Jeju Island from 2004 to 2013 ranged from 19 to 193 cm in fork length (FL). The time series of the monthly mean FL of T. orientalis had a negative correlation (r = - 0.592, p < 0.01) with the seawater temperature at 50 m and had a significant positive correlation (r = 0.668, p < 0.05) with PDOI.

• Animal cells and systems
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.213-219
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• 2010

Bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops sp.) commonly inhabit Korean waters, including the coastal waters of Jeju Island. However, their taxonomic position was unclear because of the validity of this genus. The genus Tursiops has recently been determined to comprise two species: the common bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) and the Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops aduncus). To confirm the taxonomic position of bottlenose dolphins frequenting the coastal waters of Jeju Island, the external morphology and osteology of specimens from Jeju Island were examined. Photographs of free-swimming individuals were also used for determining external morphological characters. The cranial and meristic measurements fell within the ranges of T. aduncus. Osteological ratios were also consistent with those of T. aduncus. The presence of a prominent ventral spot was observed among some individuals. As a result, the dolphins mainly distributed in the coastal waters of Jeju Island were identified as Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins (T. aduncus) in terms of their cranial characters and ventral spotting. We propose a new Korean name, 'Nambang-keun-dol-go-rae'.

• Journal of Ecology and Environment
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.115-120
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• 2010

The Asian cultural landscape is a mirrored ecosystem of great complexity, formed by the interaction of man and nature, coupled with a host of ecological processes. The human dependencies on and environmental adaptation of the bio-organisms and the surrounding landscape constitute the typical cultural landscape. Islands are a good example of a cultural landscape, and each mosaic pattern of marine and coastal ecosystems reflects bio-cultural diversity. Along with land-use patterns, wise use of biological organisms and indigenous knowledge has expanded to islands in the Asia-Pacific region in several ways (sea current and human impact, etc.). Loss in biodiversity and landscape diversity as well as cultural diversity owing to global warming and rapid urbanization are emerging issues for island ecosystems all over the world. In order to sustain the historical coexistence between man and natural systems, we ecologists must continue to search for a holistic solution for academic consilience. In this paper, I present the vision and practical characteristics of island ecology with a view toward the conservation of the traditional landscape and bio-cultural diversities in the seascape.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.23
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• pp.10091-10094
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• 2015

Easter Island is a small island of $180km^2$, located 3,800 km from the Chilean coast and one of the most isolated inhabited places in the world. Since the mid-twentieth century, it has been undergoing an epidemiological transition in relation to the causes of death, from a predominance of infectious to non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as cardiovascular ailments and cancer. The aim of this study is to describe the causes of death to Easter Island between 2000 and 2012, so the statistical records of Hanga Roa Hospital and death certificates were reviewed. The period under review of 13 years there was a total of 252 deaths, an average to 19.3 deaths per year. The most frequent causes of death found in the general population of Easter Island were cardiovascular diseases (25.4%), followed by neoplasms (23.4%), accidents (18.6%). Related to Rapa Nui people, cardiovascular and neoplastic diseases (both 26.7%) predominate, while in the population without belonging to the ethnic group the main causes were traumatic (25%) and cardiovascular (22.2%). Comparing the leading causes of death of Easter Island with mainland Chile, it can be seen how they resemble. Taking the island death profile, it is necessary to work on public health strategies aimed to this, considering that some of the causes are completely preventable.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.14 no.5
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• pp.3101-3103
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• 2013

In Easter Island, population is composed by original habitants, the Rapa Nui culture and introduced people, mainly from continental Chile, who have a different ethnic origin. The aim of this research was to describe cancer frequency in resident population in Easter Island, and secondarily compare the findings with other islands of Polynesia and continental Chile. We reviewed the statistics of patients treated in Hanga Roa Hospital during the period 2006-2010, finding a total of 49 patients with cancer during the study. The most frequent cancers in Easter Island's people were breast cancer (8 cases), skin (8 cases), cervical (8 cases), lung (5 cases) and gastric (4 cases). According to gender, in females the most frequent cancer was breast, followed by skin and cervical, while in men, lung, prostate and hematopoietic cancers were the most frequent. Most cases of cervical cancer occurred in women of Rapa Nui ethnicity, while most skin cancers were found in non-Rapa Nui people. In case of the most common cancer in Easter Island, education (e.g. Papanicolaou and mammography screening) and prevention in the community (e.g. use sun block, avoid cigarettes) should be useful tools to reduce incidence.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.6 no.3
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• pp.347-360
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• 1993

The project was undertaken to provide information on the present system of traditional pig farming in the South Pacific region, to identify the problems currently limiting productivity of such pigs and to offer practical strategies which could be used for increasing productivity of the animals. The problems were identified by surveying some 220 subsistence pig farms in eleven island countries in the South Pacific region using a prepared questionnaire. The units were found to be generally small, consisting of about 2-4 sows per herd. The productivity of the units as assessed in terms of sow reproductive efficiency was rather low, being only about 7.5. Feed, housing, breeding, disease, marketing, lack of capital, technical know-how and existing social traditions were identified as current constraints. Based on three of the most limiting factors identified namely feed, housing and breeding, strategies for improvement were developed on the basis of better and more effective use of locally available feed resources, better housing and genetic improvement through crossbreeding programmes. These improvement strategies were tested as a package model on some ten farms in two of the island countries. The results of these on-farm trials indicated that using the improvement strategies increased sow reproductive efficiency by approximately 60 percent, to nearly 12. The significance of these findings in the overall management of traditionally raised pigs in the South Pacific region is discussed.