NEWS

On Sunday, January 19, 2025, at Tsukumi Civic Hall, and on Saturday, January 25, at Usa City’s Usanopia, an event titled "International Exchange Through Sharks: Comparing the Seas of Wales and Oita!" was held to deepen understanding of marine environments.

As part of international exchange efforts between Oita Prefecture and Wales, located in the west of the United Kingdom, the Oita Marine Palace Aquarium "Umitamago" and Oita Prefecture have been collaborating with Anglesey Sea Zoo in North Wales. This initiative is also supported by Nippon Bunri University and APU, with Professor Thomas Jones from the College of Sustainability and Tourism providing operational guidance and advice with the design of environment education tools. On the day of the event, Associate Professor Rie Usui from the College of Sustainability and Tourism and two students from the same college also participated and interacted with local schoolchildren.

The event was designed for elementary school students aged 7 to 11, and over the course of two days, a total of 26 participants took part. At the venue, various educational tools were set up, including a giant board game ("Sugoroku") and a "trash football" game with SDGs quizzes, and a "fishing game" to learn about local fish species. Marine life in Wales was compared with that found in Oita, allowing observation of differences in the coastal environment. Participants were impressed by touching real sharks preserved using taxidermy. The slides about Wales, together with a video message from Anglesey Sea Zoo, sparked the children’s interest in marine biology on the other side of the Earth. Through this event, participants explored environmental issues affecting sharks and other marine life, discussing what actions they could take to make a difference.

The international exchange initiative between Oita and Wales is part of the Expo International Exchange Program, a model project aimed at fostering ongoing exchanges between local communities and participating countries and regions of Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai. This event served as a kickoff for these efforts leading up to the Expo.