ABOUT JEAN
General Incorporated Association JEAN
In recent years, trash, which generated from people's living and industrial spots, flows into the sea and has become an international environmental issue, as "marine litter". It is because that trash gets into rivers and waterways travels over the ocean and washed up on the shores of other countries.
The problems of marine litter can easily be pointed out a few, such as severe affect to wildlife (mistakenly eaten as feed or entanglement of trash to animal's body), damages to tourism (loosing the scenic value or a bad reputation), harming fishery (destruction of fishing ground or get mixed into marine products) and a hindrance of ship navigation.
JEAN has aimed at rendering services to improve the marine environment, especially the prevention of marine litter, since 1990. Our primarily activities and projects are as follows:
Outline of Organaization
| Name of Organaization | JEAN |
|---|---|
| Establishment | November 19, 2008 (as a voluntary group: January 1991) |
| Director | Chairperson of Directors, Kanko, Hiroshi |
| Address | 3-4-12 Minami-cho, Kokubunnji Tokyo 185-0021 |
| Number of staff | 6 persons, including part-time staff |
| Purpose | This association intends to gather and put out the information, carry out investigation researches and implement enlightenment programs as such, in regard to the problem of marine litter. It applies results from such activities,nationally and to neighboring nations to address solving the problem of marine litter, in the purpose of making contribution to the preservation of marine environment, which is the shared heritage of human beings. |
| Activities and Projects | (1) Collecting and putting out information concerning the marine litter problem (2) Investigation research on the marine litter problem (3) Education on and international cooperation in the marine litter problem (4) Policy proposal through the projects which displayed in the each earlier number (5) Projects which is accessory or related to the projects which displayed in the each earlier number (6) Other projects to accomplish the objectives |
Brief History of JEAN Activity
| 1990 | Commencing the Cleanup Activity with Volunteers *Carried out Japan's first "International Coastal Cleanup (ICC)", activity of the trash survey and cleanup by citizens, responding to a participation invitation from the U.S. marine conservation organization, Ocean Conservancy. (80 sites; 800 volunteer participation) |
|---|---|
| 1991 | Starting the private organization, "Cleanup Office Japan" Starting coordinating Spring and Autumn Cleanup Campaign *260 sites with 10,400 volunteer participation in the spring and autumn campaigns. Since this year, carrying out the two campaigns every year. |
| 1992 | The Cleanup Activity was authorized as official Earth Year event by the Environmental Agency (now the Ministry of Environment). Starting riverbank cleanups in addition to coasts.(In 1993, Tamagawa ClearnAid was held; Arakawa Clean Aid was carried out in the following year of 1994 and it has continued in to a local citizen organization concerning the river basin environment since.) |
| 1994 | Hosted expert consultations in different themes (10 meetings during this year to 1997) |
| 1995 | Attended International Coastal Cleanup Coordinator Conference for the first time. *Attended the conference as the national coordinator of Japan, made information exchange and interchange. |
| 1997 | In the incidents of Nakhodka oil spill accident, dispatched information and helped the spot of the accident. Started cooperation and collaborative researches. 2002 Began collaborative investigation and cooperative action with NGO of South Korea. |
| 2001 | Cleanup Campaign was authorized official project of United Nations Environmental Plan (UNEP). |
| 2002 | Staring cooperative research activity with Korean researchers and non-governmental organization. Starting cooperation and joint work with academic researchers in Japan |
| 2003 | Hosted "Island Trash Summit" to study the measures with concerned party and local governmental bodies of which the damages are severe. *Later, the name of the meeting has changed to "Marine Litter Summit" and held once a year. |
| 2004 | Holding "Act Forum for Clean Seashore" jointly with River Bureau of Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) |
| 2005 | Hosted an informal gathering of parties concerned for discussions on the problem of marine litter. *This was to have an opportunity with the national government to study measures for the problem, by proposing informal gathering with responsible persons in charge in government offices and other relevant individuals from NGOs, researchers, and business sectors, as we consider the move of our government is indispensable to solve the problem. |
| 2006 | Jointly hosted "International Coastal Cleanup and Workshop" organized by Northwestern Pacific Action Plan (NOWPAP). |
| 2007 | Hold the symposium, "To Retrieve the Clean Seashore" and "The Symposium to Commence `Marine Litter Forum Japan". |
| 2008 | In order to make a plan for consolidation of the activity, established "Limited Liability Intermediate Corporation JEAN" and started contracting investigation/survey job. |
| 2009 | Lobbying activity for consolidation of law regarding Marine Litter since 2006, and as the result, the law "Law for the promotion of marine litter disposal" has been enacted in July. Changed the organization name to "(in Japanese) General Incorporated Association JEAN" as a result of abrogation of the Intermediate Corporation Law. |
| 2010 | Defined single consolidated activity under General Incorporated Association JEAN. (liquidating the private organization "JEAN/Cleanup Office Japan" for better) |
