16.

Shiretoko (Japan) (N 1193)

Year of inscription on the World Heritage List2005
Criteria(ix) (x)Year(s) of inscription on the List of World Heritage in Danger
N/A
Previous Committee Decisions
29 COM 8B.6
International Assistance
N/A
UNESCO extra-budgetary funds
N/A
Previous monitoring missions
February 2008: joint UNESCO / IUCN mission
Main threats identified in previous reportsa)Expedite development of a marine management plan;b)

Develop a salmonid management plan;c)Address other management issues included in the IUCN evaluation report.

Current conservation issues
A comprehensive state of conservation report was received from the State Party on 31January 2008, which reported progress on the following issues:a)

The establishment of a Scientific Council, three Expert Working Groups, and a
Regional Liaison Committee to guide the conservation and management of theproperty;b)Extension of the marine component of the property from 1 km to 3 km and submissionof a revised map in December 2005;c)Development of a multiple use integrated marine management plan;d)Assessment of the impact of river constructions on salmonids and countermeasurestaken;e)Proper management of Sika Deer in the property and on the Hokkaido Island;f)Strategies for promoting ecotourism and proper use of the site, as well as research andmonitoring activities.

State of conservation of World Heritage properties
inscribed on the World Heritage List

WHC-08/32.COM/7B.Corr, p. 1

On the invitation of the State party, a joint World Heritage Centre / IUCN mission visited theproperty from 18 to 22 February 2008 and the detailed mission report, responding to thevarious issues raised in the 2005 decision of the World Heritage Committee, is available at
http://whc.unesco.org/archive/2008 . The key findings from the mission included:
Management of marine resources
The mission team reviewed the multiple use integrated marine management plan and notedthat it provides a good framework for management of marine resources and builds on a goodbase of local involvement and the best science currently available. However, the Mission
Team feels that further detail and elaboration is required, particularly in relation to theidentification of priorities, responsibilities and time lines, and it should also include clear
targets and indicators for the conservation of the key indicator species, including Walleye
Pollock and the Steller Sea Lion. There is also a need to prepare one comprehensive
management plan which integrates the currently separate plans covering marine
management, ecotourism, as well as other issues.
Additional measures are required for ensuring the long-term conservation of fish species,
including adjustments to management practices, in consultation with local fishers. TheMission Team recommended the State Party consider identifying and designating locallyrelevant conservation zones, including no-take zones, and practices within the marine habitat
to ensure sustainable productivity of the marine biodiversity. It is also observed that fisheries
resources are affected by activities which occur outside of the property, in particular fromfisheries activities in the wider Sea of Okhotsk. This requires action beyond the boundaries ofthe property and the need to continue the dialogue and consultation already initiated withrelevant authorities and representatives of the fisheries sector from Russia. Effective
measures are also required to minimise conflicts between fishers and the conservation of thethreatened Steller Sea Lion.
Management of Salmonids and river constructions
Salmon species are an important element of the outstanding universal value of the property.
Hence, providing for their unimpeded movement between the marine and riverine habitats isa crucial management strategy. The State Party has already started modifying some of thestructures that exist in 14 of the 44 streams within the property, but these efforts need to beintensified, particularly in key areas such as the Rusha River, to enable free movement of thesalmonids. There is also need to carefully monitor the long-term impact of modification ofriver structures on salmonid populations.
Management of Sika Deer
Proper management of Sika Deer populations is crucial to conserving the naturalecosystems and biodiversity of the property, as there is concern that they may be affecting
the native vegetation through overgrazing. A management plan for this purpose has beendeveloped and is being implemented, but impacts on both the ecosystems and the deer
populations need to be carefully monitored and the management practices adapted
accordingly.
Management of ecotourism
Several initiatives have been taken to develop responsible tourism activities and facilities
within and adjacent to the property. The activities are guided by the working groups on
proper use and ecotourism and are being undertaken in consultation and collaboration withlocal communities and the travel and tourism sector, and are based on the natural featuresand values of the property. They also aim to contribute to the development and diversificationof the local economies.
Climate change
The outstanding universal value of Shiretoko is strongly related to the presence of sea ice atthe lowest latitude in the Northern Hemisphere. This influences the productivity of the marineecosystem, which in turn influences the productivity and diversity of the terrestrial ecosystem.
The effects of long term climate change could have a significant impact on this property andhence, there is a need to carefully monitor the impacts and take appropriate adaptation
strategies to deal with them.
The mission notes the good progress made by the State Party in addressing
recommendations from the World Heritage Committee and the IUCN Evaluation Report. The
mission was particularly impressed by the strong commitment of stakeholders at all levels toensuring the outstanding universal value and integrity of the property is maintained. The
mission also applauds the bottom-up approach to management through the involvement oflocal communities and stakeholders, and also the manner in which scientific knowledge has
been effectively applied to the management of the property through the scientific Committee
and the specific Working Groups that have been set up. These provide an excellent modelfor the management of natural World Heritage properties elsewhere.

Draft Decision:

32 COM 7B.16.Corr

The World Heritage Committee,
1.

Having examined Document WHC-08/32.COM/7B.Corr,

2.

Recalling Decision 29 COM 8B.6, adopted at its 29th session (Durban, 2005),

3.

Commends the State Party for responding effectively to the recommendations made at
the time of inscription of the property;

4.

Takes note of the recommendations of the joint World Heritage Centre / IUCN reactive
monitoring mission and requests the State Party to implement them, with particularemphasis on the following:a)Explore with the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) the obtaining of theParticularly Sensitive Sea Areas (PSSA) designation for the marine component ofthe property, with a view to giving it an added layer of protection;b)

Integrate the marine management plan with the overall management plan of theproperty and clearly identify activities, results and objectively verifiable indicators,
assign clear roles and responsibilities and elaborate a time-frame for its
implementation;c)Complete the revision of the overall management plan for the property andintegrate all the other individual plans, including the one for the marine
component, salmonids, sika deer, and for ecotourism and proper use;d)Consider identifying and designating locally relevant conservation zones,
including no-take zones and practices, within the marine habitat, to ensuresustainable productivity of the marine biodiversity, including of the fisheryresource;e)Continue the cooperation which has been initiated with the Russian Federation tofind long-term solutions to resource use problems, particularly the unsustainable
harvesting of the Walleye Pollock, and for regular exchange of scientificinformation;f)Continue and accelerate measures to promote the free movement of salmon
within the property and also to increase salmon escapement, giving priority
attention to the modification of structures on the Rusha River, and monitor
impacts on salmon populations;

5.

g)

Develop clear indicators to help define acceptable limits for the impact of grazing
on natural vegetation, and monitor the impacts of control measures on sika deer
populations and the biodiversity and ecosystems of the property;h)Develop a consolidated ecotourism strategy for the property and ensure that it isclosely linked and integrated with regional strategies for tourism and economic
development within Shiretoko;i)

Develop a Climate Change Strategy for Shiretoko which includes:(i)a monitoring programme; and(ii)adaptive management strategies to minimise any impacts of climatechange on its values;

Also requests the State Party to keep the World Heritage Centre informed regularly on
the progress made with the implementation of the recommendations of the 2008
monitoring mission and submit to the World Heritage Centre, by 1 February 2012, areport on the above issues for examination by World Heritage Committee at its 36thsession in 2012.